Contact Center Perspectives Podcast

Amazon's CX Strategies: Andon Cord and Heartbeat Database. In this 0:51 short video, Vivian Malandrin, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at Amazon Brazil, explains the concept of the Andon chord, introduced by Toyota, and how it’s used to address production issues. She highlights the "Heartbeat" database, which allows product managers to track customer feedback and reviews, providing valuable insights for improving products. “Product managers can go to the Heartbeat database, search for anecdotes about new launches or concerns, and understand what people are saying. This resource is very rich and is used extensively.” – Vivian Malandrin Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dktcsCUT #contactcenter #outsourcing #customerexperience #wow247

In our new episode, Vivian Malandrin, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at Amazon Brazil, explains how customer obsession fuels Amazon's continued success. She emphasizes the company’s strong culture and leadership principles that prioritize customer needs. She also describes how real-time feedback and anecdotes drive innovation and improvements. “Customer obsession means that leaders, like every Amazonian, start with the customer and work backward from there. We always begin with the customer’s questions, pain points, and feelings.” - Vivian Malandrin Vivian’s insights emphasize that customer obsession is a transformative approach that demands dedication, empathy, and strategy. Her transition from journalism to leading customer experience at Amazon highlights the importance of listening and storytelling in business. By integrating these practices, businesses can transform customer experience into a core identity, driving loyalty and growth. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dc_A2Mnu

Mastering Feedback Loops: Effective Customer Insight Management In this 0:48 video short, Thomas Lehner emphasizes the importance of structured feedback loops in customer-centric organizations. He outlines a process similar to incident management: gathering feedback, validating it, prioritizing issues, and assigning owners. Lehner stresses the need for clear communication channels, careful filtering of information, and closing the feedback loop to maintain customer trust and drive continuous improvement. “Support is the eyes and ears of a company because they are in very close contact with customers and partners. Their job is to inform the product organization, managers, marketing, sales, and other departments about any feedback that customers and partners provide.” – Thomas Lehner. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dsWdaXPW #contactcenter #outsourcing #customerexperience #wow247

Balancing Value: Entrepreneurial Drive vs. Employee Mindset In this 0:51 video short, Thomas Lehner, Director of Global Support and Operations at Spryker, discusses the importance of providing sustainable value in business. He emphasizes that leaders should incentivize long-term thinking over quick fixes. Support teams, with their direct customer contact, are uniquely positioned to gather insights and drive value creation. “Contact centers and support organizations have developed a fixation on small things, such as closing cases and providing responses as fast as possible, because this is what managers placed emphasis on. What we should be pursuing is something more profound and abstract but infinitely more valuable to your customer.” – Thomas Lehner. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dsWdaXPW #contactcenter #outsourcing #customerexperience #wow247

Thomas Lehner, Director of Global Support and Operations at Spryker, shares his journey from entrepreneur to global leader in customer experience. He emphasizes the role of an entrepreneurial mindset in fostering innovation, sustainable value, and effective feedback loops for continuous improvement. He also discusses the importance of aligning product development with evolving customer needs. “If we look at what is important in entrepreneurship, it all boils down to satisfying a need, and you need to consistently produce relevant and sustainable value for your customer.” - Thomas Lehner. This episode highlights the need for a business-savvy approach to customer experience. It's all about creating lasting value, always getting better through feedback, and blending human touch with AI smarts. This recipe helps companies stand out and really wow their customers in today's tricky market. Watch the full episode here: https://hubs.ly/Q02ShrZs0

Anne-Sophie Engert, Head of Customer Care and Conversion at Sonova, stresses why boards should invest in contact centers by showcasing their potential to drive profits through superior customer experience. She explains that metrics such as CSAT, NPS, and repeat purchase rates measure success and demonstrate the financial return on investing in customer care. She also advises aligning agent traits with customer profiles to boost empathy and service quality. "Customer service is dealing with the most valuable asset of a company—its customers. Investing in this department is essential to gather the most valuable feedback directly from those interacting with your brand." - Anne-Sophie Engert Anne-Sophie’s strategy covers the importance of well-selected, trained agents and creating sustainable career paths, which enhance customer experience and the bottom line. By adopting this thoughtful approach, businesses can boost sales and build a loyal customer base. These strategies offer a blueprint for turning contact centers into profit centers and achieving long-term growth. Watch the full episode here: https://hubs.ly/Q02PPKG90

Shareth Ben, Chief Customer Officer at Apptega, shares insights on executing customer success strategies in large organizations. He emphasizes the role of change management, internal collaboration, and data-driven decision-making in achieving competitive advantage and highlights the importance of aligning internal processes to enhance customer outcomes and productivity. "Change management is key. My years of customer-facing experience with enterprise clients are now helping me promote collaboration and achieve outcomes for both customers and the company." - Shareth Ben The success of customer strategies is closely tied to how well internal structures and processes are aligned within a company. By breaking down organizational silos and fostering cross-department collaboration, businesses can streamline operations and create a more cohesive work environment. Leveraging data and promoting empathy further enhances both employee efficiency and customer satisfaction. Watch the full episode here: https://hubs.ly/Q02PPv460

Neal Dlin, Founder of Chorus Tree and the VP, Customer Service Experience at Aviso Wealth, critiques the outdated practices of 2024 contact centers, advocating for a shift from a manufacturing-based model to a human-centered approach. He stresses the need to understand employees and customers as individuals, challenges outdated KPIs, and underscores the importance of trust in agent interactions. He also advocates for a redefinition of metrics to place a stronger emphasis on delivering exceptional customer experiences. "Everything else is just information, not the goal. That’s where the problem starts to arise. People need to experiment more and try new approaches while staying laser-focused on delivering great experiences for both customers and employees as human beings." - Neal Dlin Neal’s insights highlight the importance of human connection and empathy in contact centers. By focusing on emotional intelligence and personalized experiences, organizations can turn their contact centers into customer-centric hubs, boosting satisfaction and business success. This approach also helps employees perform better, offering valuable guidance for adapting to the evolving customer service landscape. Watch the full episode here: https://hubs.ly/Q02NcbHc0

Michael Fulvio, Director of Customer Experience at SNIPES, advises against the usual focus on Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) as a KPI. He stresses using diverse data points like incident rates, first reply times, and fulfillment metrics to address customer issues, improve operations, and drive revenue, thus enhancing the customer experience. By broadening the scope of performance measurement, businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. “My overall goal is to turn each of our customer interactions into data that the business can use to make other decisions about what’s going on.” - Michael Fulvio Navigating contact center operations requires a multifaceted approach beyond conventional metrics, focusing on customer interactions. Organizations can unlock growth and customer loyalty by prioritizing data-driven decisions, nurturing agent retention, and integrating community engagement. Leveraging these insights will be essential for sustainable success and delivering exceptional experiences that resonate deeply with customers. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dH_mJuuV

In this 28:33 episode, Neelam Sandhu, Former Chief Elite Customer Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, & SVP Sustainability, shares insights on transforming sales strategies to focus on customer success. She discusses aligning sales with customer-centric approaches, the impact of technology on relationships, and key strategies for long-term engagement. Prioritizing customer success fosters sustainable growth. “The most important thing for successful leaders is to build a team with a customer-obsessed culture. A team that collaborates effectively with others focuses on driving business success, and possesses strong technical expertise.” - Neelam Sandhu Neelam Sandhu’s insights highlight the importance of investing in customer success to drive revenue and loyalty, integrating customer support with success strategies to enhance engagement and stickiness, and prioritizing customer-centricity to boost growth and profitability. By focusing on these areas, businesses can create a more cohesive and satisfying customer experience, leading to long-term success and a competitive edge in the market. https://hubs.ly/Q02Lz-2Q0