Questions for now - Compelling perspectives on digital CX

On this episode, we look at where enterprise CX AI actually stands in 2026 — and why deployment and performance are not the same thing.The Enterprise CX AI: 2026 Global Survey, conducted by Ryan Strategic Advisory and commissioned by TELUS Digital, reached 815 enterprise CX decision-makers representing 19 industry verticals and organizations with annual revenues ranging from $10M to over $5B. Among its findings: AI-assisted agent interactions, where an agent handles the conversation while AI tools surface information, suggestions and automations in real-time, are now the dominant model, leading in six of the seven functions the survey measured.But there’s more to the story. Only 32% of organizations have AI-powered quality assurance in place, meaning nearly seven-in-ten of the surveyed organizations are running AI-assisted operations at a volume their quality assurance infrastructure likely can't keep pace with.Meanwhile, CX budgets are largely holding or growing, with 40% of enterprises reporting increased AI investment heading into 2026 and nearly 50% holding steady. At that level of commitment, the question shifts to whether what's been deployed is performing to the level that's expected.Peter Ryan, president and principal analyst at Ryan Strategic Advisory, and Erin Walker, global vice president of CX AI at TELUS Digital, approach the question from two complementary vantage points — the survey data and the delivery floor. Together, they cover where the enterprise market stands on CX AI.Show notesDownload the Enterprise CX AI: 2026 Global Survey conducted by Ryan Strategic Advisory and commissioned by TELUS Digital: https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/customer-experience/resource/enterprise-cx-ai-2026Learn more about CX Strategic Assessments from TELUS Digital: https://www.telusdigital.com/solutions/cx-consulting

On this episode, we explore what rigorous AI safety testing looks like for customer-facing AI — and why most deployments carry more risk than the teams running them expect.Testing AI before launch is standard practice. But one-time manual testing treats AI like a deterministic system. Model behavior is probabilistic, and the consequences of inadequate testing fall into four categories: people data harm, other types of data harm, reputational harm and commercial harm. Each represents a distinct exposure with real consequences for your organization and your customers.Meaningful AI safety testing requires something different: continuous, automated adversarial testing at scale, designed to find what a bad actor would find before they find it. TELUS Digital's benchmark research, running 34 models through more than 620,000 simulated attacks, found attack success rates ranging from 1% to 90%, and identified five gaps in how most organizations approach testing: scale, scope, variety, repetition and simulation realism.Bret Kinsella, senior vice president and general manager of Fuel iX at TELUS Digital, draws on the GenAI safety model benchmark report to explain where CX AI tends to fail adversarial testing methods, how the exposure management framework reframes risk as an ongoing operational discipline and the question every CX leader should be asking about the AI their customers are currently interacting with.Show notesWatch Uncharted, TELUS Digital's AI safety and security summit, on demand: https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/fuel-ix/resource/uncharted-ai-security-safety-summit-videosDownload the full GenAI safety model benchmark report: https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/fuel-ix/resource/genai-safety-benchmark-2026Learn more about Fuel iX Fortify, TELUS Digital's continuous adversarial testing and validation platform for enterprise AI, and request a free AI safety & security analysis: https://www.telusdigital.com/solutions/fuel-ix/fortifyConnect with Bret Kinsella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretkinsella/

On this episode, we explore AI orchestration in contact centers — and what CX leaders need to know to move from digitized chaos to operational clarity.Most brands have implemented AI in their customer experience operations to some degree. But when systems are siloed, data is fragmented and workflows are disconnected, AI can magnify problems instead of solving them.AI orchestration in the contact center changes that by connecting your data, systems and workflows so AI can make real decisions across every channel. This can increase resolution rates, improve agent experience and drive measurable business impact.Nuri Gocay, director of contact center platform architecture at Zendesk, and Abby Spahich, global vice president for digital CX solutions at TELUS Digital, map the path from operational fragmentation to orchestrated clarity, making the case that true AI orchestration is ultimately about delivering better customer experiences, not just better efficiency metrics. Their perspectives cover readiness, organizational barriers and the first steps toward a truly orchestrated CX operation. Show notesJoin us at Zendesk Relate 2026 in Denver, Colorado, May 18–20, 2026. TELUS Digital is a platinum sponsor — be sure to stop by our booth to connect with our team in person.Read Abby Spahich’s latest article, The modern CCaaS strategy: Five steps for turning efficiency into growth. Connect with Abby Spahich on LinkedIn.Connect with Nuri Gocay on LinkedIn.

On this episode, we explore how realistic voice simulations are accelerating agent readiness — and what CX leaders need to know to implement AI training at scale.Generative AI and voice simulation technology are fundamentally transforming how organizations prepare agents for service delivery. When agents feel prepared and confident, they deliver customer care that can result in better first contact resolution, higher customer satisfaction and increased customer lifetime value.Listen for the compelling insights of Mitch Lieberman, vice president of product for Fuel iX™ at TELUS Digital, and Jack Piunti, go-to-market leader at ElevenLabs, as they reveal how leading organizations are using AI voice simulations to train contact center agents more efficiently — reducing agent ramp time while building genuine confidence.Along the way, they'll share real results from Fuel iX Agent Trainer, powered by voice AI technology from ElevenLabs, and explain how this approach can create measurable improvements in customer experience.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notesAccelerate agent proficiency with Fuel iX Agent Trainer: https://www.telusdigital.com/solutions/fuel-ix/agent-trainerCase study: Discover how TELUS Communications transformed contact center agent training with AI: https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/customer-experience/resource/telus-contact-center-agent-training-ai

On this episode, we explore why enterprises often trust their CX service partners with their customers — but not their revenue.A new IDC study, sponsored by TELUS Digital, reveals a striking imbalance between the percentage of enterprises that rely on a CX service partner for support and analytics and those that engage those same partners for inbound B2B or B2C sales, despite revenue growth ranking among their top desired outcomes.Host Robert Zirk sits down with Robin Jakobsen, director of product strategy for Customer Experience Management at TELUS Digital, to find out what's behind that disparity and what enterprises could gain from closing the gap. Along the way, the two discuss a shift from outsourcing as a defensive cost center to a CX partnership enabling revenue growth.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notesDownload the full IDC InfoBrief, "From Efficiency to Excellence: Driving Enterprise Value Through Customer Experience Partnerships": https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/customer-experience/resource/idc-cx-outsourcing-revenue-growth-research

On this episode, we explore the critical connection between sales and customer experience teams — and why a misalignment might be costing you customers, revenue and brand reputation.When sales sets expectations that CX can’t meet, customers may churn faster than you can acquire them, wasting your customer acquisition costs. The problem isn’t what either team does in isolation, but rather the handoff between them.Drawing from 20 years of experience, Robin Jakobsen, director of product strategy for CXM at TELUS Digital, reveals what this sales team alignment gap can cost your business and how CX leaders can take a proactive role in fixing it. Shawn Casemore, keynote speaker and author, brings additional sales expertise, explaining where the disconnect happens and how both teams can shift from competing priorities to shared outcomes.Together, they share the orchestration tactics and strategies CX leaders need to prevent customer churn, build loyalty and align with sales around revenue metrics.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notesDownload TELUS Digital's 90-day customer activation checklist for B2B customer success and onboarding teams.Learn how TELUS Digital’s B2B Sales Outsourcing can help you transform your sales ecosystem with exceptional buyer-seller experiences.

On this episode, we explore the hidden cost of overlooking agent experience — and how it impacts your customers.Your contact center agents handle hundreds of customer interactions every week, from routine questions to complex issues. When your agents feel empowered, they resolve problems with creativity and empathy, turning satisfied customers into loyal advocates and ultimately helping you win the moments that matter. When they don't feel empowered, they deliver transactional service, avoid taking initiative and may even start looking for the exit — sabotaging your CX in the process.Join Ken Hughes, keynote speaker, consumer behavioralist and author, and Estuardo "Ligo" Ligorría, regional vice president of operations for the Americas at TELUS Digital, as they reveal what the best CX leaders get right, what it means for them to truly “show up” for their frontline teams, and how to navigate the tension between efficiency and the human connection.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, our expert guests from this year’s past episodes each share one critical question that customer experience (CX) leaders need to ask themselves to deliver better customer outcomes in 2026.We've compiled the most important questions from our conversations this year — each one designed to reveal where your CX strategy is vulnerable and what to do about it. Join us as we explore those questions with previous guests:Mark Abraham (co-author, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI)Brian Breslin (vice president, fintech and SaaS, TELUS Digital)Diane Magers (co-author, The Customer Experience Field Guide)Adrian Swinscoe (author, Punk CX and Punk XL)Jelena Bajic (vice president, global operations excellence, TELUS)For more from today's guests, check out these episodes of Questions for now:On The era of AI-driven personalization is here. What now?, Mark Abraham reveals the five key promises brands must fulfill to delight customers at every interaction. On Why do satisfied customers leave?, Brian Breslin uncovers what separates customers who stay from those who leave for a better offer.On Is experience management the new customer experience?, Diane Magers explains the strategic shift to organization-wide experience management practices.On How can you alleviate cost pressures in customer experience?, Adrian Swinscoe and Jelena Bajic share strategies for delivering exceptional outcomes in CX when leaders are asked to do more with less.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we explore why customer experience (CX) leaders need to be aware of developments in AI compliance in 2026 — and why a “light touch” approach puts your CX at risk.The era of voluntary AI oversight is over. Binding regulations are now enforceable globally. AI-powered fraud is accelerating. And for CX leaders, compliance directly impacts customer trust, and therefore your bottom line. Our expert guests cut through the complexity, revealing how to navigate fragmented global regulations, what you can do as a CX leader to prepare your organization and why the competitive edge in AI is shifting from who launches first to who launches responsibly. Listen for the compelling insights of Jeff Brown, former general counsel, global privacy officer at TELUS Digital, and Natália Fritzen, head of AI compliance at Sumsub.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notesBenchmark your fraud prevention and compliance program with TELUS Digital’s financial crime and compliance maturity assessmentExplore the data behind the fraud trends discussed in this episode with Sumsub’s Identity Fraud Report 2025-2026

On this episode, we explore what it takes to shift from vendor to strategic partner — and why good metrics alone don't guarantee renewals.The difference between vendors who survive consolidation and those who don't isn't performance — it's relationships. Drawing from real customer success transformations, our expert guests reveal the frameworks that get customer success leaders in the room where decisions are made, the warning signs that predict churn despite healthy metrics and the tactics for building executive relationships that position you as a strategic partner.Listen for the compelling perspectives of Kelly McGuire, vice president of customer success at Everstage, and Tom Pelisson, director of global customer strategy and success at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notes:Download TELUS Digital's 90-day customer activation checklist for B2B customer success and onboarding teams.

On this episode, we explore why satisfied customers leave — and what it takes to turn satisfaction into lasting loyalty.Most B2B and B2C businesses assume that satisfied customers will stay. But research shows that 20 to 70% of new customers leave within their first 100 days — even when they rate their experience as "satisfactory." Drawing from examples across a wide variety of industries, our expert guests reveal the critical moments in the customer journey when satisfied customers are driven to leave, the hidden costs of customer attrition that extend beyond lost revenue, and the practical strategies that transform transactional relationships into emotional connections strong enough to keep customers coming back.Listen for the compelling insights of Joey Coleman, keynote speaker and author of Never Lose a Customer Again, and Brian Breslin, vice president of fintech and SaaS at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we explore data neutrality — and why ensuring unbiased, reliable data is fundamental to delivering AI-powered customer experiences. AI is everywhere in today’s customer experiences, from chatbots handling order inquiries to copilots that help agents provide better support. However, the quality of these experiences depends entirely on the quality of the data powering them. When data is biased or compromised, it can lead to unfair treatment, poor personalization and inconsistent results across customer segments — ultimately damaging the brand trust and loyalty CX leaders work so hard to build.With 87% of U.S. consumers demanding transparency in how brands source data for AI models, and growing regulatory pressure around data governance, understanding data neutrality has become a business imperative. Our expert guests break down this complex topic in practical terms, sharing strategies for evaluating data sources, implementing proper auditing practices and choosing between custom and off-the-shelf datasets to support your CX goals.Listen for the compelling insights of Amith Nair, global vice president and general manager of Data & AI Solutions at TELUS Digital, and  Professor Renato Vicente,  associate professor of applied mathematics at the University of São Paulo and director of the TELUS Digital Research Hub.Show notes:Read more about the TELUS Digital survey on AI data transparency. Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

We’re bringing you a recent release of AI Unraveled, a podcast exploring groundbreaking research, innovative applications and emerging technologies that are pushing the boundaries of AI.On the episode “The Future of AI Safety Testing,” Bret Kinsella, GM of Fuel iX™ at TELUS Digital, shared his expertise on game-changing approaches to AI safety testing and the critical importance of proactive security measures in enterprise AI deployment.In conversation with host Etienne Noumen, Bret discusses the limitations of traditional red teaming methods for large language models, introduces the breakthrough technique that enables AI systems to test themselves and explores how enterprises in regulated industries can balance innovation with responsible AI governance.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we explore strategies that transform customer experience into a revenue engine — and how to communicate CX wins with language that resonates with C-suite executives.As customer expectations increase and budgets tighten, organizations are looking for ways to quantify the value of their CX initiatives. Our expert guests share proven methods for connecting CX initiatives directly to revenue growth, backed by real-world success stories and actionable insights.Listen for the compelling insights of Cami Ferreira, global business strategist and CX speaker, and Richard Bledsoe, vice president of customer experience innovation at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

We’re bringing you a recent release of What The Fraud?, a podcast from our partners at Sumsub, a global leader in identity verification, compliance and fraud prevention. On the episode, "The Business of Trust: Making Security Your Competitive Edge," Carolyn Fox, director of trust and safety at TELUS Digital, shared her perspective on how robust security measures can become a strategic advantage in today's digital landscape. In conversation with Sumsub’s head of partnerships, Thomas Taraniuk, Carolyn discusses balancing security with user experience, AI's evolving role in fraud prevention and the importance of human oversight in security systems.

On this episode, we explore how to alleviate cost pressures in customer experience — and unlock the potential for CX to drive business growth.CX leaders face several competing pressures: budget constraints, the need to demonstrate ROI and rising customer expectations. Our expert guests provide practical, actionable insights on creating value-driven customer experiences that reduce costs, improve service quality and connect to measurable business outcomes.Listen for the compelling perspectives of Adrian Swinscoe, author of Punk CX and Punk XL, customer experience advisor and workshop facilitator, and Jelena Bajic, vice president, global operations excellence at TELUS.Show notesTune in to Adrian's show, Punk CX, for more conversations about customer experience.

On this episode, we explore how B2B SaaS platform monday.com has scaled its digital customer success programs to support rapid growth — and how these programs are optimized to meet each customer at their specific point along the customer journey.As businesses expand, there are more customers to support and the same amount of time in each day. That means customer success teams face the challenge of ensuring clients derive maximum value from products or services at scale. This growth can make providing consistent one-to-one support, particularly to smaller customers, increasingly difficult.To strategically support its expanding customer base, monday.com introduced office hours — scheduled sessions where small groups of customers receive live training from a customer success manager (CSM), followed by dedicated time for questions and answers.Listen for the informative insights of Samantha David, digital customer success program manager at monday.com, as she shares valuable insights on how office hours complement monday.com’s traditional customer success approaches. Learn how monday.com leverages customer segmentation and data-driven insights to deliver tailored support at scale, and discover best practices for CSMs looking to implement similar digital content strategies in their own organizations.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we discuss trust and safety trends — including emerging challenges and opportunities — and how the evolution of technology is shaping CX leaders' priorities in 2025.Fraudulent activity, cyber attacks, data breaches and harmful user-generated content are on the rise. To combat these threats, robust trust and safety programs have become more important than ever. Our expert guests share how organizations are adapting their approaches despite resource constraints and explain why proactive trust and safety programs are crucial in delivering exceptional customer experiences.Listen for the compelling insights of Peter Ryan, president and principal analyst at Ryan Strategic Advisory, and Ljubiša Velikić, former vice president, trust and safety at TELUS Digital.Show notesWant to learn more about the latest trends in trust and safety programs? Download a copy of TELUS Digital's report, Safety in numbers: Trust and safety trends, 2025.

On this episode, we explore the threat landscape in crypto and fintech — and how companies can go beyond maintaining customer trust to turn confidence into a competitive advantage. With the advent of fintech and crypto platforms, financial services have become more accessible, efficient and transparent for customers. However, the combination of social engineering tactics, deep fakes and AI tools has led to an increase in fraud, scams and other threats.In a world where trust in institutions is declining — the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found Americans' institutional trust fell from 52% to 47% over the past decade — crypto and fintech brands must be diligent in earning and maintaining customer trust. Success takes careful consideration and a comprehensive trust and safety strategy. Listen for the compelling perspectives of Amanda Wick, author, former U.S. federal prosecutor specializing in financial crime, founder and CEO of the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency and principal at Incite Consulting, as she shares practical strategies for protecting your customers in an increasingly complex digital financial ecosystem.Amanda’s book, The Catalysts: The Accelerating Forces Forging the New World Financial Order, is available wherever books are sold.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we explore practical strategies for maintaining authentic customer connections and how, paradoxically, automation can make your experiences more human — not less.As brands scale, creating personalized customer experiences becomes increasingly challenging. Automation, when thoughtfully implemented, can create space for human team members to develop a deeper appreciation of specific customer needs and preferences, leading to better experiences and ultimately greater customer loyalty.Listen for the compelling perspectives of Bal Mahal, former senior product manager, intelligent automation at TELUS Digital, and David Wachs, founder and CEO of Handwrytten, as they share how brands can leverage automation to personalize customer experiences.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notesFor more insights on automation, check out the Questions for now episode What do people get wrong about automation?

On this episode, we explore whether it’s time for leaders to reframe their thinking from traditional customer experience to experience management. Although brands may understand that customer experience is essential to success, they often overlook the importance of other stakeholders. The term “experience management” goes beyond that interaction between brand and customer, encompassing the experiences of employees, vendors, shareholders and more. Listen for the actionable insights of Ian Golding, author, founder and CEO of Customer Experience Consultancy, and Diane Magers, author, founder and CEO of Experience Catalysts. Our guests share how brands can adapt their mindsets and practices to embrace this more inclusive approach, offering practical strategies for implementation.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.Show notesIan’s book, Customer What?: The honest and practical guide to customer experience, is available wherever books are sold.Diane’s book with Michael Hinshaw, Experience Rules!: The Experience Operating System (XOS) and 8 Keys to Enable It, is available wherever books are sold.Discover the digital customer experience priorities of enterprise leaders with survey results from TELUS Digital, in collaboration with Statista.Find out more about investing in agent engagement in the TELUS Digital article Call Center Basics: A Return to Fundamentals

On this episode, we discuss the evolution of personalization in the customer experience — and how brands can leverage AI to create personalized experiences at scale.According to TELUS Digital research, 62% of consumers would choose a more personalized experience over a faster experience. But despite the demand, the BCG Personalization Index indicates that only one in 10 companies are delivering personalization effectively.Our expert guests break down what makes a personalization strategy successful and speak to how top brands are driving these initiatives with AI to increase their lead over competitors.Listen for the compelling insights of Mark Abraham, managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group and co-author of Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, and David Caudle, former vice president, strategic transformation at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, our expert guests from past episodes each share one big question that customer experience leaders need to ask themselves to deliver better customer outcomes — and explore practical ways to find the answers.We’ve revisited some of our most impactful topics and compiled eight of the best questions that you, a CX leader, need to ask yourself to improve your customer experience. Join us as we delve into those questions.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we discuss how B2B brands can turn customer success into a powerful engine for sustainable growth.While new customer acquisition acts as the primary growth driver for most B2B brands, the potential for customer success to contribute to growth should not be overlooked. Customer success teams play a critical role in reducing churn and are ideally placed to identify up-sell and cross-sell opportunities.To ignite this second growth engine, B2B leaders must work to ensure alignment between customer success and sales teams, and improve retention by helping customers derive value from their products and services.Listen for the compelling insights of Daphne Costa Lopes, global director of customer success, strategic accounts and solution architecture at HubSpot, as she shares how HubSpot delivers exceptional experiences that create value for their customers, what skills customer success managers need to foster and how HubSpot tracks customer success metrics that lead to growth.Tune into Daphne’s podcast, This is Growth, to hear more of her insights on customer success.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

On this episode, we explore strategies for building a compelling business case for customer experience (CX) investment — and how to optimize the budget you’ve secured.According to Forrester’s Budget Planning Guide 2025: Customer Experience, while 99% of CX decision-makers list CX improvements as a top priority of senior executives, only 40% anticipate they’ll receive significant budget increases.As a CX leader, you must combine evidence-based arguments with emotional appeals to secure the investment needed for success. And then, whether or not you procure the resources you’re looking for, a new set of challenges arise when it comes to optimizing the budget you are granted. CX leaders must excel at making the most of limited resources, demonstrating ROI and leveraging emerging technologies effectively.Our expert guests share key strategies on how to navigate the process of budget planning, negotiation and optimization to keep pace.Listen for the actionable insights of Jeannie Walters, keynote speaker, author and host of the Experience Action podcast; Mark Raffan, negotiations expert, host of the Negotiations Ninja podcast; and Alain Méric, former vice president of sales at TELUS Digital.

Note: This video and transcript contain references to WillowTree, now proudly part of TELUS Digital. The insights and expertise shared in this video continue to reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional digital experiences powered by AI.On this episode, we explore the connection between brand and customer experience — and how to maintain positive customer sentiment while undergoing a rebrand.An effective rebranding strategy can serve to reposition a company, product or service to better align with customer expectations. But it’s not a given; to retain existing customers and attract additional ones, brands must engage numerous stakeholders, plan meticulously and communicate clearly. Listen for the compelling insights of Billie Loewen, vice president of marketing services at WillowTree, a TELUS Digital Company; and David Soberman, professor of marketing and Canadian national chair in strategic marketing at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.Hear more growth marketing insights from Billie Loewen on WillowTree’s Room For Growth podcast.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we ask big questions about how customer loyalty is formed — and how AI can be leveraged to build stronger connections with customers.According to TechSee, a visual customer experience solutions provider and technology partner of TELUS Digital, more than one in three consumers in the United States don’t consider themselves to be loyal to brands and would switch if it proved beneficial to them. It is here where brands have an opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand for personalization, speed and convenience.By exploring the emotional aspects that shape consumer behavior, our expert guests provide actionable strategies for the use of AI to foster true customer loyalty..Listen for the informative insights of customer experience keynote speakers and experts Shep Hyken, author of I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again and host of the Amazing Business Radio podcast; and Colin Shaw, author of The Intuitive Customer: 7 Imperatives For Moving Your Customer Experience to the Next Level and co-host of The Intuitive Customer podcast.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we explore customer-focused leadership — and the steps CX leaders can take to cultivate and champion a customer-centric culture in their organizations.Customer centricity goes beyond providing good customer service, relying on company leadership to consider every decision, action and strategy from the perspective of the customer. Leaders who foster a customer-centered mindset best position their organizations to attract and retain customers, with a number of studies validating the correlation between customer-focused leadership and CX success.Listen for the actionable insights of Blake Morgan, customer experience futurist, keynote speaker and author of The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership, and Lori Branton, global vice president of client success at TELUS Digital.Blake's new book, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership, is available for purchase on Amazon or at 8CXLaws.com.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we discuss the importance of reducing customer effort — and the steps brands can take to design and deliver seamless customer experiences.Today, customers demand speed and efficiency. It is up to brands to rise to that challenge. Research from HubSpot indicates that 9 out of 10 customers consider an immediate response from customer service to be “essential” or “very important”, with 6 out of 10 defining “immediate” as a response in under 10 minutes.Through real-world examples and actionable insights, our expert guests share how to identify potential areas of improvement and refine CX processes to exceed expectations, eliminate friction and build lasting loyalty.Listen for the compelling perspectives of David Avrin, customer experience speaker, consultant and author of Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With, and Jim Mitchell, vice president of customer experience and digital innovation at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we discuss a longstanding focus for customer experience (CX) leaders — loyalty — and the role of CX delivery in creating customer advocates and word of mouth.According to Nielsen, 88% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. Despite the evidence that word of mouth, facilitated through exceptional customer experiences, remains a pivotal factor in shaping business outcomes, many businesses do not have a defined word of mouth strategy.Our expert guests share their perspectives on how to transform satisfied customers into loyal advocates. Along the way, they discuss brand ‘superfans’ and how to introduce unexpected moments along the customer journey — called ‘talk triggers’ — to prompt proactive word of mouth.Listen for the compelling insights of Jay Baer, author of Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word-of-Mouth; Brittany Hodak, author of Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates; and Rajiv Dhand, regional vice president for Asia Pacific and Africa at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we explore how eco-friendly apparel brand Frank And Oak evolved its business model to adapt to customer expectations — and how data, feedback and technology are used to optimize its CX strategy.Founded in 2012 as an online-only menswear retailer, Frank And Oak used data and insights from customers to change course over the following decade, reinventing itself as a sustainable lifestyle brand with both an online and brick and mortar presence.Listen for the informative insights of Nadia Famularo, director of operations and customer success at Frank And Oak, as she discusses how data-driven decision making influences Frank And Oak’s business strategy, how the company leverages technology to enhance the customer experience and why CX leaders must ensure the voice of the customer is heard in their organizations.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we discuss customer experience trends – and how these trends are impacting CX leaders’ priorities in 2024.Drawing on decades of experience and conversations with CX executives at some of the world’s top brands, our expert guests speak to the challenges and opportunities in leveraging customer data, the impact of AI on customer interactions, what brands are looking for from outsourcing partners and much more.Listen for the compelling insights of Annette Franz, keynote speaker and author of "Built to Win: Make the Customer Experience Part of Your Company's DNA", and Kory Laszewski, vice president of global sales at TELUS Digital.Want to dive deeper on the latest trends in CX? Download a copy of 2024 CX Leaders & Trends Insights by Execs In The Know, in partnership with TELUS Digital. Additional resources:Everest Group survey results: Enterprise readiness for generative AI adoption in customer experience management Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we explore the relationship between employees and technology — and how brands can harness employee-facing technology to improve their customer experience.Tools like agent-assist bots and internal collaboration platforms can enable team members to work effectively and efficiently — in turn, increasing employee engagement and customer satisfaction.   Our expert guests share how — and why — technology centered around formulas like the service-profit chain, and TELUS Digital’s Culture Value Chain, can help brands and their employees keep customers happy while strengthening financial performance.Listen for the compelling perspectives of Hugo Sampaio, former vice president of information technology services at TELUS Digital, and Thomas Hollmann, clinical associate professor, department of marketing and executive director, Center for Services Leadership at Arizona State University.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: This episode contains references to WillowTree, now proudly part of TELUS Digital. The insights and expertise shared in this episode continue to reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional digital experiences powered by AI.On this episode, we explore whether voice-first experiences will be as ubiquitous as the internet and smartphones — and how brands can prepare for a voice-first future.Voice technology offers distinct advantages over other forms of inputs, allowing for lower effort customer interactions, increased efficiency and improved accessibility.With recent advancements in generative AI, voice-first experiences – the combined process of voice recognition and natural language processing – have the potential to completely transform how we interact with our devices in our everyday lives, leveraging multimodal environments to create the ultimate interface.Listen for the compelling insights of Tobias Dengel, president of TELUS Digital, and Bret Kinsella, founder, CEO, and research director of Voicebot.ai.Tobias’s book, The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology, is available for purchase in hardcopy, digital and audiobook formats.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we look back at our first season of Questions for now — and highlight six customer experience (CX) resolutions to consider as your brand rings in the new year. We’ve asked a number of big questions this past season, covering topics like automation, changing customer preferences, algospeak and more. Join us as we recap some of the actionable insights shared by CX thought leaders.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we ask big questions to debunk prominent myths and misconceptions surrounding automation in customer experience (CX). Questions like: Are automation tools going to replace human agents? Why do up to half of all automation projects fail? Is automation too expensive? Is automation only for the biggest companies? Along the way, we weave in recent data, experiences and thoughts from two expert guests, showing why organizations are increasingly turning to automation to deliver a more streamlined and efficient customer experience. Listen for the compelling insights of Nigel Devaraj, senior product manager, hyperautomation at TELUS Digital and Chandrakant Binwani, former director, intelligent automation solutions at Automation Anywhere.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital. On this episode, we discuss how start-ups can deliver exceptional customer experience (CX) with limited resources — and how businesses of all sizes can use these tactics to thrive in a competitive environment.To succeed in the marketplace, start-ups need to provide CX that's seamless, simple and positive. Join us as we discuss how the most successful businesses leverage technology to prioritize empathy and humanity in interactions, all while gaining a deeper understanding of their customers.Listen for the actionable insights of Alroy Almeida, director of deep tech at Velocity, one of Canada's leading start-up incubators, and Brian Hannon, former chief growth officer at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we discuss the connection between cybersecurity and digital customer experience — and how rethinking data security can help maintain customer trust. Listen for the compelling insights of Dr. Dave Chatterjee, associate professor, management information systems at the University of Georgia and Steve Jablonski, vice president of information security at TELUS Digital.The threat landscape is changing and brands can’t treat security as an afterthought. Cybersecurity experts are calling for businesses to incorporate security by design, a principle that builds security considerations into the very foundation of new products, services and processes.This proactive approach can bolster defenses against data breaches and invasions of privacy, and as a result, plays an important role in maintaining customer trust.Tune in to Dr. Chatterjee’s show, The Cybersecurity Readiness Podcast, for more conversations about cybersecurity.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.The job market is changing at a faster pace than ever, and to keep up, brands need to continually recalibrate their recruitment processes to ensure they’re attracting top candidates. A shift in strategy and the leveraging of technology and automation can help companies position themselves as employers of choice.On this episode, we discuss talent recruitment in a competitive job market — and the ways brands can innovate to stand out. Listen for the compelling perspectives of Tricia Williams, director, research, evaluation and knowledge mobilization at Future Skills Centre, and Pamela Rodas, senior director, global talent acquisition at TELUS Digital.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital.On this episode, we discuss how customer expectations change in difficult economic climates — and the ways brands can adapt. Listen for insights from Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing at University at Buffalo School of Management, and Pete Tapley, former vice president of customer experience innovation at TELUS Digital.Rising inflation is making consumers think twice, and think differently, about their purchases. Likewise, many brands are working with tighter budgets, and facing heightened pressure as they strive to do more with less.Join us as we look at where we are now and what brands can do to meet customer expectations today and well into the future. Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital. On this episode, we discuss algospeak — online language meant to evade algorithmic detection — and how you can keep up.  Listen for the compelling perspectives of Dr. Jamie Cohen, assistant professor at Queens College, City University of New York, and Siobhan Hanna, former vice president and managing director of AI Data Solutions at TELUS Digital. A combination of 'algorithm' and 'speak,' algospeak is the collection of codewords, slang, deliberate typos, emojis and the use of different words that sound or have a meaning that is similar to the intended one. The use of algospeak raises important questions for brands with online communities.Learn more about the TELUS Digital survey on algospeak referenced in the episode: Survey: ‘Algospeak’ on the Rise in Attempt to Avoid Automated Content ModerationVisit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Who, what, when, where, why and how. Introducing Questions for now, a podcast from TELUS Digital sharing compelling perspectives on the digital customer experience (CX). Join host Robert Zirk as he asks big thinkers today’s big questions. Featuring thought leaders from beloved brands and influential institutions, Questions for now is packed full of actionable insights that listeners can apply in their organizations today.Subscribe and listen to Questions for now on your podcast player of choice, and look to your feed for a new episode soon.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.