Next in Queue

We All Wanna See You Tattoo Your… featuring Kory Kostecka

In Season 8 of The Office, Andy Bernard gets creative with an employee incentive plan to drive better profitability. His points system is met with apathy until he ups the ante with some pretty bizarre and embarrassing potential rewards. In typical Andy fashion, his plan backfires spectacularly. Kory Kostecka, the Director of Workforce Solutions at Paramount Staffing, believes contact centers need to adjust to attract and retain top talent, but he wouldn’t advise using Andy’s method. Instead, he offers some relatively simple strategies that will make your talent management successful in 2024 and beyond. We discuss: • Post-COVID shifts in hiring criteria • How companies can earn employee loyalty beyond pay • How to communicate career path opportunities • Big trends for 2024 • One thing younger workers want more than ever before Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kory-kostecka-95b82514a/ Paramount Staffing – https://www.hireparamount.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

The Look featuring Daniel Nilsson

In 1989, Roxette took the world by storm with their first hit, “The Look.” Songwriter, Per Gessle wanted the band’s 2nd album, Look Sharp, to be “a little more programmed, digital, and modern” than their first effort, Pearls of Passion, so he got a synthesizer and in the process of learning to use it, wrote “The Look.” Daniel Nilsson believes support should be “a little more programmed, digital, and modern” as well. Not only does his proactive approach to support reduce support inquires, it drives more sales through channel partners. We discuss: • Why Daniel believes in always being available for Customer Support • How Preventative Support impacts product design • How good onboarding impacts Support • How great Channel Sales and Support can drive revenue • Tips and Tricks for providing great Channel Sales Support • Lessons from Marketing applied to Support • The critical attribute for successful Support professionals Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielnilssonsweden/ Daniel’s blog – https://www.daniel-one.com Much Skills – https://www.muchskills.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Ilenia Vidili and the power #emotional #connections to #brands!

Fantastic Voyage featuring Ilenia Vidili

The iconic 1980 Lakeside hit, Fantastic Voyage, invites listeners to leave behind the mundane and embark on a journey filled with unexpected delights. Breaking free of societal constraints and your own comfort zone has compelling rewards, but only if we’re ready to embrace the journey. Societal constraints extend to the business world, too. Quarterly earnings calls often compel business leaders to follow a path to short-term gains rather than focusing on customer-centricity and the long-term gains of that path. Ilenia’s Vidili’s fantastic voyage began on the Italian island of Sardinia and took her Spain, the United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, and back to Italy. Along that voyage, she learned a lot about customer experience. Recently, she focused her efforts to write Journey to Centricity, a guide for companies willing to embark on a fantastic voyage that focuses on the most important stakeholder in any business – the customer. We discuss: • Her childhood experience growing up in Sardinia • Her first experience in customer relationships • Why companies still struggle to understand both customers and employees • The relationship between Customer-Centricity and profitability • The power of emotional connection with customers • Why there is a trust deficit between customers and companies • The barriers to Customer-Centricity • A Sardinia-only food you have to hear about Connect with Ilenia on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileniavidili/ Ilenia’s Website – https://www.ileniavidili.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

So Shines a Good Deed in a Weary World featuring David Allison

This was the moment that Charlie showed Willy Wonka what he really valued in the 1971 classic, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, which was based on Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie, despite having secretly tried Fizzy Lifting Drinks at the behest of Grandpa Joe, valued personal integrity. It was this integrity that Willy was looking for in his successor. But there were 5 children, approximately the same age, in the running for the actual prize. Age and gender didn’t matter much to Willy, though. What he was looking for was someone who valued the same kinds of things he did, someone who would carry on his legacy. What mattered were values. Not demographics – values. And that’s just the thing that David Allison discovered and is now sharing with the world: Demographics never actually predicted behavior very well. What predicts behavior is values. We discuss: • When David realized demographics didn’t work • What behavioral science says about how we make decisions • How the use of demographics contributes to societal problems • Why using demographics for marketing is essentially like throwing darts • Surprising insights from Valuegraphics in a variety of industries • The myth of generational demographics • When our values are formed • Regional and cultural differences in values across the world • 3 ways companies can use values to create effective messaging Support Driven Community Awards – https://awards.supportdriven.com/best-podcast-nominations Connect with David on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidallisoninc/ Valuegraphics – https://valuegraphics.com/ David’s Website – https://www.davidallisoninc.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

The Power of Telling Your Brand's Story #podcast #branding #customercentricity #rightbrain

A preview of Ilenia Vidili's upcoming appearance on the show!

Man in the Mirror featuring Phil Johnson

While the title track of Michael Jackson’s 1988 album, Bad was full of bravado and ego, the fourth single, Man in the Mirror, was a lesson in both humility and personal responsibility. It would go on to become Jackson’s tenth #1 single. While making a change seems like a relatively simple thing to accomplish, Phil Johnson says it requires building new habits to replace your old habits, and that requires building new neural network pathways in your brain. But if we want better results, changing our habits is the only option because habits determine 95% or more of our behaviors. We discuss: • How dyslexia impacted Phil’s life • How Phil started the MBL program • When and how habits begin forming • Why emotional intelligence is more critical now than ever • How to overcome and build new habits • How to make failure impossible • The impact of habit stacking Support Driven Community Awards – https://awards.supportdriven.com/best-podcast-nominations Connect with Phil on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipjpjohnson/ Meet Phil - https://calendly.com/mblcoach/chat-with-phil Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Verbal Xanax #podcast #voice

Jason Hiland has an opinion about Rob's voice and he's not afraid to say it!

This Town Deserves a Better Class of Content featuring Paul Banks

In one of his final and most acclaimed roles, Heath Ledger gives some incredible advice as The Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight – value your skills. In this scene, he’s found the people who need his particular skillset – they probably can’t do the job themselves and besides, who has the time when you’ve got all that criming to do? So often in business, there are things we know need to be done but we struggle to find the time and we may not possess the skills. Paul Banks realized that content was a key to building a brand and driving conversations with your ideal customers. Today, he brings his content creation skills to companies that know they need it, but either don’t have the time or skills to create compelling content. We discuss: • Paul’s journey to content creation • What has and has not changed in the world of marketing • Marketing strategy for businesses in 2024 • Tactics for creating and distributing content • Tools for creating content • Tips for creating content that people won’t simply scroll past Support Driven Community Awards – https://awards.supportdriven.com/best-podcast-nominations Connect with Paul on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-banks007/ Javelin Content - https://www.javelincontent.com/ Marketing Helpdesk - https://www.marketing-helpdesk.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Seriously Understaffed featuring Irina Mateeva

Not every situation calls for the whole team. But even the likes of Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Iron Man (Tony Stark) feel it when there aren’t enough of them to handle the job, like in this scene from 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Staffing plans are important for all kinds of businesses, including, apparently, the superhero business. But in the contact center world, instead of super-soldiers, Nazis, and politicians to worry about, Workforce Management professionals must deal with call arrival patterns, average handle times, shrinkage, and so much more to ensure that customer interactions are handled in a timely manner. WFM, or Workforce Management may not have the excitement of a Marvel movie, but if you ask Irina Mateeva, it’s definitely not boring! We discuss: • How Irina got into WFM • Functions of WFM • The critical nature of forecasting • How Intraday management impacts the business • The biggest myth about WFM • Should AHT be an agent KPI? • Why no WFM technology is one-size-fits-all • How WFM solutions can impact Employee Experience • Why a WFM consultant might be right for you Connect with Irina on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-mateeva-wfm-consultant/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

LinkedIn State of Mind featuring Elena Garvey

Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind featuring Alicia Keys was a love letter to New York. It was a song that expressed how, despite its obvious flaws, the city offered things that no other city offered. New York is a place of inspiration, style, renewal, dreams, and success stories. At the same time, it can be a brutal gauntlet that pushes you to (and possibly past) your limits. As Old Blue Eyes once sang about New York, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” Cities and towns have been creating communities for centuries. But in the last two decades, the internet has created new ways to create communities – social networks. The first social network to gain significant global traction was MySpace, which launched 20 years ago in August, 2003. At its height, it had 115 million monthly visitors, though that number is less than 10 million today. It may surprise you that the more buttoned-down social network, LinkedIn, launched 3 months before MySpace. And while MySpace is now often forgotten relic of our social networking past, LinkedIn is approaching 1 billion members from over 200 countries. Like communities have for thousands of years, LinkedIn strives to create economic opportunity for its members. Elena Garvey is the former head of CX at LinkedIn and she joins the show this week to talk about the digital jungle where dream jobs are made of. We discuss: • The experience of being recruited for LinkedIn on LinkedIn • The aspirational vision of LinkedIn • How a global customer base affects CX strategy • How regulations and compliance can impact CX • The impact of the pandemic on LinkedIn • The surprising impact of the LinkedIn “CX Show” • Resources for learning more about CX Connect with Elena on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenamanovagarvey/ CX Patterns Podcast – https://open.spotify.com/show/2CmBXfjNPR0h7WcSKAxWAG Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Kapowee! featuring Mitch Case

If you’re not familiar with Grady the Badger, let me introduce you. Grady appeared in commercials for Johnson Automotive, a chain of dealerships in North Carolina, Maryland, and Florida. Grady was, uh, well, everything people hate about salespeople and then some. Pushy, obnoxious, misogynistic, condescending – you name it, Grady embodied it. In this commercial, he suggests feigning interest in potential customers to make the sale. While this tactic seems slimy when it’s merely acting, Mitch Case says that becoming genuinely interested in his customers is what allowed him to become a highly successful salesperson. Revenue, Referrals, and Retention are his 3 R’s for driving the Customer Relationship Experience. He’s also the Founder of More than a Meal, a service that helps organizations create memorable experiences that increase employee retention, boost employee morale, and strengthen company culture. We discuss: • The inspiration for More than a Meal • How More than a Meal impacts Employee Experience • Strategies for strengthening customer relationships • How focusing only on the potential revenue of a deal backfires in sales • The power of being intentional • How to engender trust in others • One big tip for salespeople to increase referrals Connect with Mitch on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellcase/ 12-Step Customer Relationship Experience Framework – https://morethanamealco.com/crxdownload Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Hiring Your Next Agent J featuring Milan Batinich II and Ma

Even the most exclusive organizations in the world often hire based on “gut” or “instinct” without any real data to show whether someone is a good fit for a role or not. In 1997’s Men in Black, a group of young officers, including NYPD detective and future MIB agent J (Will Smith), are submitted to a battery of tests supposedly for their "motor skills, concentration and stamina." The tests were actually designed to assess their intelligence, resourcefulness, independent thinking, relationship with authority, and powers of observation. At the end of all the testing, they hired based on one person’s gut. And while Agent K certainly made the right decision, your business isn’t an action comedy with an all but guaranteed happy ending. But what if your organization had access to an assessment that identifies behavioral traits that are highly predictive of success in a given role? What if that assessment also gave you insights into how to best support, develop, and motivate employees? Talent Optimization data helps leaders predict workplace behavior so they can hire the right candidates, design goal-crushing teams, cultivate an award-winning culture, and manage employees according to their unique preferences. Milan Batinich and Mark Brody are Talent Optimization Certified Partners for The Predictive Index. We discuss: • Why Brohawk Solutions launched Talent Optimization Services • What makes The Predictive Index different from other assessments • What to expect from implementation and onboarding • What a successful implementation looks like • Real-life stories of success • How Talent Optimization is impacted by a changing employment landscape • How technology will impact Talent Optimization • How you can take your own FREE PI Behavioral Assessment in less than 10 minutes Connect with Milan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/milan-batinich/ Connect with Mark on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbrody-brohawksolutions/ Get your FREE PI Assessment – https://assessment.predictiveindex.com/bo/CZNH/NextinQueue Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Scar Tissue featuring Rob Connelly

In 1992, guitarist John Frusciante left the wildly successful Red Hot Chili Peppers and spent the better part of the decade battling heroin addiction. Nearly 7 years later, he reunited with the band and it’s his unmistakable melody that introduces the Grammy-winning 1999 hit, Scar Tissue. The song delved into themes of drug addiction and the struggles to overcome it – lead singer Anthony Kiedis had been battling his own addiction as well. But Scar Tissue spoke to more than recovering drug addicts – it spoke to all kinds of people dealing with all sorts of trauma that they keep hidden from the world. Rob Connelly may be in the Contact Center software business with Vistio, but he firmly believes that the human element is the most important part of Customer Experience. When it comes to humans working with humans, be it customers and agents or salespeople and executives, he believes that understanding how we each bring our own scar tissue into every conversation can change the quality of interactions. We discuss: • How “scar tissue” is experienced in the Contact Center • How companies can empower agents to deal with scar tissue • A lesson companies can learn from the non-profit sector • The best diagnostic tool for Customer Experience • The opportunity presented by the pandemic • Why company culture impacts agent performance Connect with Rob on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-connelly/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Baby If You’ve Ever Wondered featuring Sandy Yu

WKRP in Cincinnati was a sitcom that ran from 1978 to 1982. It was a show that really focused on the relationships between the main characters on the show, all employees of a struggling AM radio station in Cincinnati that switches its format to playing rock music to stay afloat. The theme song you just heard contains the lyrics, “Baby, if you’ve ever wondered, wondered what ever became of me.” In the world of B2B, I’m sure there are a lot of customers thinking the same thing about their vendors. Sandy Yu is an advocate for Customer-Led Growth, a strategy that focuses on driving additional revenue and customer loyalty by focusing on your current customers rather than on new customer acquisitions. Her Customer Growth Framework is designed to increase Net Revenue Retention, drive more referrals from customer advocates, and motivate teams to deliver value. By focusing on your customers, hopefully, they won’t be singing, “Just maybe think of me once in a while.” We discuss: • How Customer-Led Growth differs from other growth strategies • Why Customer-Led Growth focuses on value • How Customer-Led Growth generates additional revenue • Tactics for deepening customer relationships • Long-term impacts of deeper customer relationships • The most important radio station to customers (it’s not WKRP) • How automation fits into Customer-Led Growth • How Advisory Boards can drive customer relationships Connect with Sandy on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandysyu/ Revenue CCO – https://revenuecco.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

I Fought the Law featuring John Walter

Hit songs sometimes take a long path to recognition. Perhaps you recognize this song as a hit by The Clash. Their 1979 punk cover version reached #24 on the Irish Singles Chart and has since appeared in blockbuster movies and video games. But the song was written by Sonny Curtis in 1958. The following year, he took over guitar for Buddy Holly in the Crickets and they recorded the song. It received very little airplay. Then, in 1965, The Bobby Fuller Four recorded this version of the song and in 1966, it hit #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The law, it seems, can also sometimes take a long path to recognition. In 2008, the Illinois legislature passed a law known as Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). It wasn’t until 2022 that a case involving BIPA ever went to trial. It resulted in $228 million in damages against railway operator BNSF. Since then, over 100 cases have been filed. White Castle, purveyor of late-night sliders and favorite of Harold and Kumar, could be on the hook for over $17 billion in damages! After 15 years on the books, what’s changed? Attorney, Outsourcing Advisor, and AI enthusiast, John Walter joins to discuss how the use of AI has turned BIPA into a surprise hit for litigators. We discuss: • How John became aware of BIPA • Background on BIPA • How the statute of limitations works for BIPA violations • Why Customer Support organizations should be aware of BIPA • How Voiceprints are regarded by BIPA • How companies may be opening themselves up to BIPA lawsuits • What to do if you’re concerned about the impact of BIPA on your business Connect with John on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jowalter/ ZMAXINC – https://www.zmaxinc.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Season 2 Mashup

A quick peek from Season 2 episodes!

What It's Like featuring Dr. Natalie Petouhoff

Everlast gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Irish-influenced hip-hop group House of Pain in the early 90s with their infectious hit, Jump Around. But by 1998, House of Pain had disbanded and Everlast, now nearly 30, took on a new persona for his solo career – Whitey Ford. His first hit single, What It’s Like, was more than just a musical departure from the up-tempo rock/rap anthems of his youth - it was a lesson in empathy. Dr. Natalie Petouhoff believes business leaders often don’t know “What It’s Like” for employees and customers to experience their brand. She co-authored Empathy in Action with Tony Bates, a book that teaches how empathy-based business criteria can transform customer and employee experiences, galvanize trust and loyalty, and drive better business results. We discuss: • The biggest misconception about empathy • What customers really want • How empathy transforms business practices • The two most critical missing measures on the P&L statement • How the pandemic changed the workforce forever • How emotional connections affect brand service recovery efforts • The economics of Customer and Employee Experience • The surprising relationship between empathy and efficiency • How generational differences impact the workforce zeitgeist Connect with Dr. Natalie on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnataliepetouhoff/ Empathy in Action – https://empathyinactionbook.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Chain-o'-Command featuring Ron Holt

In 1986’s Odd Jobs, Max (played by Paul Reiser) gets his feet wet in the moving business while partnered with a veteran of the industry, Wylie. In this scene, his very first day on the job, Wylie makes it clear that this partnership is more of a dictatorship. After realizing the only moving company option, which is also mob-owned, provides horrendous service, Max and three friends see an opportunity to start their own moving company. Eighties hilarity ensues. Ron Holt also saw an opportunity to disrupt the moving business using some of the same strategies he used to grow a successful home cleaning franchise. So he sold the business he spent 20 years building and embarked on a new journey to start “the world’s first happy moving company.” If you ask Ron what the most important word in the moving business is, he’d probably say, “culture.” We discuss: • The missing ingredient for a successful business that Ron was missing • How customer feedback changed employee behavior • The one metric that worried Ron while business was booming • What prompted him to get into the moving business • How to go beyond what customers think they want • The nexus of the Pink Zebra name • How Ron creates employee buy-in to the Pink Zebra culture • How Pink Zebra stands out from the competition Connect with Ron on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronholtfranchise/ Pink Zebra Moving – https://pinkzebramoving.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

How Do We Do That featuring Jan Young

Taking a new product to market is rarely easy. Just ask Walter White. Our role in that is often unpredictable. Afterall, Walter was a chemistry teacher before his entrepreneurial escapades on Breaking Bad. He had to learn a lot of new skills to become successful in an entirely different industry. Jan Young got her start in tech before the dot com bubble burst as a project manager. After moving from New York to Los Angeles, she had stints in marketing, sales and account management, product management, customer success, and go-to-market strategy consulting. Today, she’s focused on helping Customer Success leaders excel in their current role and learn the skills to move into executive roles. We discuss: • A shocking admission of guilt from Jan • How Customer Success impacts the Go-To-Market function • How the freemium model can lead to easier enterprise procurement • The importance of culture design by founders of companies • How Customer Success is involved in Change Management • How Customer Success drives Land and Expand for subscription models • The most critical skills for Customer Success professionals Connect with Jan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-young-cx/ Jan Young CX – https://www.janyoungcx.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Jump the Queue - Looks Good On You Though featuring Nate Brown

While golf fashion is significantly more toned down these days, it was once a world filled with loud prints and wild colors. And perhaps no character personified loud and wild in the golf world quite like Rodney Dangerfield’s character in 1980’s classic film, Caddyshack. In this scene, after making fun of a particular trilby in a golf shop, he sees Ted Knight’s character wearing the exact same hat. No stranger to golf or brightly colored clothes and hats, Nate Brown blossomed when he found the right community – a community that accepted him for what he was, supported him, and allowed him to be comfortable in his own skin. When he was in need of a professional community of CX pros who would do the same thing, he couldn’t quite find it. So, he created it. The CX Accelerator Slack Community now boasts thousands of members sharing insights and mentoring each other. And as for Nate’s hat selection, and I say this without sarcasm, they truly look good on him. On this week’s bonus episode, Nate and I discuss: • How the right communities helped Nate becoming the outgoing person he is today • The nexus of CX Accelerator • What is Customer Experience and how do you show the ROI of CX work? • What Customer Service professionals can learn from Customer Success • How the mission of CX Accelerator impacts its members • Nate’s 3 layers of community • 3 books from Nate’s personal library • The genesis of Nate’s fun and exciting wardrobe Connect with Nate on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cxaccelerator/ CX Accelerator – https://www.cxaccelerator.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

You’ve Got to Know When to Hold ‘Em featuring Tino Engel

The 1978 hit, The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers tells the story of a chance meeting with gambler who offers his outlook on life using poker metaphors in exchange for a drink of whisky. In the gambler’s mind, every situation requires decisions because life itself is a gamble. To play it well, you must choose wisely, take a few risks, and not dwell on inevitable losses. Following a chance introduction to poker at a party, Tino Engel took his own gamble and began his journey as a professional poker player. Tino’s journey led him to think more deeply about our perceptions of risk, decision-making, and dealing with losing. He realized that these lessons applied to far more than poker – they applied to business and life. Today, he’s using an edutaining poker experience to help businesses across the world to boost connection, communication, and collaboration. We discuss: • Two strategies for dealing with losses • How he transitioned from professional poker to the business world • The four values poker brings to business professionals • What you can learn about colleagues to help you function better as a team • Developing a common decision-making language • Simple strategies to improve your decision-making Connect with Tino on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinoengel/ Tino’s Website – http://www.tinoengel.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/ #poker #collaboration #communication #decisionmaking #edutainment

We're Not Gonna Take It featuring Michael Podolsky

Dee Snider, the frontman for Twisted Sister, “wanted to write an anthem for the audience to raise their fists in the air in righteous anger” and the result was the transcendent hit, We’re Not Gonna Take It. Over time, the song took on new meanings. In 1985, a year after its release, it meant fighting censorship attempts by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and led to Dee Snider testifying before the US Senate. More recently, in a somewhat ironic twist, striking teachers in Oklahoma belted out the song as their battle cry. Michael Podolsky once had a customer experience so bad that he, too, decided he wasn’t going to take it anymore. In 2006, he started the consumer review and advocacy platform, Pissed Consumer. We discuss: • The psychological needs of customers and AI’s potential role in fulfilling it • Why AI will decrease the quality of customer service • The value of negative feedback • The misinterpretation of consumers who leave negative reviews • The main disconnect between companies and consumers • Mechanically creating psychological understanding for agents • Why consumers seek out 3rd party platforms for reviews Connect with Mike on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-podolsky/ Pissed Consumer – https://www.pissedconsumer.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Blame Canada featuring Mike Aoki

In South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Kyle’s mom, Sheila, makes Canada the scapegoat for the bad behavior of South Park’s children. But if Kyle’s mom were to find a scapegoat today, it would likely be Artificial Intelligence rather than America’s friendly neighbor to the north. It’s hard to go a single day without hearing about how AI will automate everything, including contact center jobs. One Canadian who’s not scapegoating the role of AI in the contact center is Mike Aoki. A survivor of the American-Canadian War (just kidding), he’s spent decades in the business and is optimistic about how contact centers will adapt and evolve as more AI is introduced. We discuss: • Opportunities for generative AI in the contact center • How the role of contact center agents will evolve • Impacts of the evolution of the agent role • The future of knowledgebases and other agent tools • How remote work impacts contact centers • One area where AI will drive up costs • Resources to keep up on the latest best practices in the industry Connect with Mike on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeaoki/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

The Color Of This Pen Is featuring Nick Glimsdahl

Liar Liar imagined an attorney who could only tell the truth for an entire day. In this scene, he’s attempting to use all his willpower to simply lie about the color of a pen. This 1997 Jim Carrey film makes us wonder – what if marketers had to do the same? Nick Glimsdahl, host of Press 1 for Nick and Director of Contact Center Solutions at VDS, thinks they would tell a very different story. We discuss: • The State of Customer Service Today • How organizational measures get in the way of being customer-focused • Why consumer sentiment is degrading despite constant feedback • How to ask better questions • A strategy for personal improvement borrowed from the contact center • The best (and worst) uses for AI in Contact Centers • Why technology needs to match your Mission, Vision, and Values • The most impactful interview Nick ever conducted Connect with Nick on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickglimsdahl/ Press 1 For Nick – https://press1fornick.com/ Episode with John O’Leary - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-difference-between-i-have-to-and-i-get-to-john/id1513628159?i=1000555690024 Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

I Can featuring Sean Ilenrey

The 2003 hit, “I Can” by Nas may have been aimed at children, but the message of hard work to achieve your dreams is relevant to anyone still involved in that pursuit. Success is a product of hard work, practice, and recognizing and taking advantage of opportunities, particularly stretch opportunities. Sean Ilenrey went from a homeless high school dropout to an award-winning executive in tech and keynote speaker. Turning his life around inspired him to help other professionals achieve their own goals through his organization, Corporate Dad. But that transformation didn’t happen overnight and required Sean to perform and grow in various stretch opportunities. We discuss: • What defines a stretch opportunity • Sean’s most challenging stretch opportunity • Benefits to offering stretch assignments to your team • How to get stretch assignments from your leadership • The behavior that has replaced “work ethic” as the most important element of success • How to recognize when you may be in over your head • When and how to seek coaching • The difference between a leader and mentor • How to prep for meetings with mentors Connect with Sean on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ilenrey/ CorpDad – www.CorpDad.com Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

I’m Not Your Ordinary, Everyday Fool featuring Rick Denton

Clark W. Griswold is not your ordinary, everyday fool – he’s an exceptional fool and one who loves travel. Whether it’s California’s Walley World, Europe, or Las Vegas, Clark has experienced a lot as a customer while traveling with his family. In this scene from 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation, Clark is experiencing was could have been a “relationship restoration” moment that could have cemented his loyalty for life. Rick Denton can tell you about successes in a moment like this as well as disasters. Spoiler alert – it’s a disaster for Clark. Rick, probably just like the traveling Clark Griswold, believes the best meals are served outside and require a passport. We discuss: • How a Total Voice of the Customer approach leads to growth • His 3 Pillars of Total Voice of the Customer (VoC) • How VoC impacts both Internal and External Processes • How to gain insights from employees • How process fits into delivering your brand promise • How stories about your customers can change your employee perceptions • How he experienced the Japanese culture of omotenashi • How Relationship Restoration can drive customer loyalty Connect with Rick on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenton/ EX4CX – https://www.ex4cx.com/ What if drug companies made commercials for… airlines – https://youtu.be/x1_Gw1GoEJk Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Be Curious Not Judgmental featuring Ashna Patel

#customersuccess #growthmindset #curiosity I may be biased, but this scene from Ted Lasso may be one of the best scenes in recent television history. Aside from reminding us how food can transport us back in time, it more importantly reminds us to always be curious. Asking questions is a skill we learn very early in childhood – particularly ones that begin with “Why?” But that curiosity is often stifled by the desire to appear informed, smart, and competent, particularly in the workplace. Ashna Patel refuses to abandon that curiosity because she knows that asking questions is the most critical skill on the journey to success. That curiosity has led her to be recognized multiple times as a top influencer in Customer Success and she’s determined to help others develop their own sense of curiosity. We discuss: • Why she co-founded CS Insider • What Customer Success entails • Responsibilities of Customer Success Managers • The most important skills for Customer Success Managers • Resources outside your company for professional development • One question to ask new connections in your network • A free resource to help guide and spark curiosity Follow Ashna on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashnapatel92/ CS Insider – https://www.csinsider.co/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Jump the Queue featuring Emma Lo, Tino Engel, and Michael Hanks

2500 years ago, before Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed the ever-present state of flux in everything. His philosophy on how everything flows is often paraphrased (or misquoted) as, “The only constant in life is change.” On this episode of Jump the Queue, we’re exploring transitions. Emma Lo started out as a cancer researcher in Taipei, Taiwan, moved to Canada, and then discovered what she really liked was interacting with people going through transitions rather than cells going through transitions. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-lo/ Next, we talk to Tino Engel in Germany whose transitioned from being a professional poker player to becoming a management trainer who uses poker to explore making choices and dealing with uncertainty in business and life. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinoengel/ Finally, I talk with an old colleague, Michael Hanks, who discusses keys to leading people he learned and utilized through multiple career transitions. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hanks-52b30768/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Okay Campers Rise and Shine featuring EJ Kritz

#employeeexperience #applicanttrackingsystem #employeeengagement #training #customerservice #contactcenter Being an agent in a contact center can sometimes feel like Groundhog Day. You take call after call every shift and most of them sound like the calls you took the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that. Of course, not everyone can thrive in that kind of environment. I mean, Bill Murray spent 12,395 days repeating the same day over and over, but he had no choice in the matter! Contact Center agents most certainly have a choice, so it’s critical to hire people who appreciate stability and predictability at work. EJ Kritz understands that Customer Experience begins with Employee Experience. If you’re wondering why your contact center attrition is high or why you have challenges hiring (or both), EJ has some suggestions for you, and no, they don’t involve AI. We discuss: • The most overlooked issue impacting employee retention • What you can learn from a blank cereal box • Overcoming challenges presented by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) • How the experience of letting people go can impact your business • Employee Satisfaction vs. Employee Engagement • How to make onboarding an amazing experience • The value of “boomeranging” new hires in training • 3 words that will change your approach to public speaking Follow EJ on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejkritz/ ath Power Consulting – https://www.athpower.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Are You Experienced featuring Dan Gingiss

If you’ve never seen it, watch footage of Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Then you’ll understand why his band was called The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Their debut album – Are You Experienced? – was an immediate success, both critically and commercially. But it was Jimi’s stagecraft, a revelation to mostly white Greenwich Village audiences where he emerged as a star, that cemented the “Experience.” This craft had been honed while touring the incredibly demanding Chitlin' Circuit with the likes of the Isley Brothers and Little Richard. Those artists knew that the audiences didn’t just want music – they wanted a show – they demanded an Experience. Dan Gingiss recognized a long time ago that all customers appreciate an experience and today, he teaches individuals, teams, and audiences around the world how to become The Experience Maker at their organization and elevate their brand to a customer-centric experience leader. We discuss: • The skills he learned from direct mail marketing • The tightrope that is influencer marketing and how to do it right • Functions social media excel at for brands and functions to avoid • The value of “complainers” to brands • Personalization mistakes brands make and how to fix them • How ChatGPT will impact Customer Experience • Voice of Customer and Actions of Customer • Why Customer Experience Transformation projects fail Follow Dan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangingiss/ Dan Gingiss The Experience Maker™ – https://dangingiss.com/ Jimi Hendrix Guitar Sacrifice – https://youtu.be/_-7toYWFEyk Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Incredible Retail Employee Checkout Hack

Are you a retail worker who loathes asking customers, "How's your day going?" This hack will transform your checkout line experience from "meh" to a game show for every customer! #retail #customerservice #employeeexperience

Inconceivable featuring Neal Topf

While the Princess Bride featured more famous quotes, Iñigo Montoya questioning Vizzini’s use of “Inconceivable” is not only memorable, but relatable in the business world when we hear terms used over and over in ways that may not be appropriate. While it’s not “inconceivable,” Neal Topf, President of Callzilla, has his own industry term that makes him feel like Iñigo Montoya every time he hears it in the wrong context. But our conversation isn’t about semantics – it’s about the realities of CX when applied in the real world. We discuss: • A tremendous weakness in the CX industry • A distinction between “client” and “customer” • Why he prefers “Servant Leaders” over “Thought Leaders” • Surprising places to find CX insights • The biggest challenges for companies to become profitable • The value of contrarians • Advice to entry level CX and/or Contact Center employees Connect with Neal on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealtopfcustomerexperience/ Callzilla – https://www.callzilla.cx Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

I Know Kung Fu featuring David Wentworth

We’re still a long way from learning Kung Fu in seconds like Neo did in The Matrix, but learning technology has come a long way over the past decade. With the impending launch of Apple Vision Pro, and the recent impressive advances in Generative AI, is learning on the cusp of something completely different from what’s come before it? David Wentworth, spent nearly 2 decades as a learning technology analyst before recently joining Schoox, a workplace learning platform. We discuss: • Why learning professionals have been slow to adopt new technologies • How YouTube changed learning • The simplest change organizations can easily make to supercharge learning • How virtual reality and the metaverse will impact learning • How Generative AI will impact learning • Tips on selecting an LMS for your organization Connect with David on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmwentworth/ Schoox – http://www.schoox.com Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Why Small Startups MUST Embrace Rules and Structure

Life in a startup has a certain "vibe." Often it involves a lack of rules and structure. Reagan Helms built a support team from scratch in that environment, but Customer Service and Customer Support at scale require processes, systems, and SOPs. If you wait too long to get started, the challenges grow exponentially. #customerservice #startup #b2b #saas

Uncovering the Surprising Milestones in Your Customer Life Cycle

Steve Bernstein talks #NPS in #B2B - specifically, how to use customer milestones as feedback touchpoints.

I'm Good Enough I'm Smart Enough featuring Casey Klein

Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley mocked the self-help industry, but there have been numerous studies affirming a wide array of benefits of both self-affirmations and words of encouragement from others. Casey Klein isn’t a self-help guru, but he is thinking about ways to make life in the contact center better for agents. Among those ideas is using data to intervene and provide encouragement when agents have emotionally difficult calls. We discuss: • Why contact centers experience staffing challenges • Virtual Agents pros and cons • Real-Time Guidance / Agent Scripting pros and cons • Robotic Process Automation (RPA) • AI’s role in Contact Centers going forward • Innovative ways to improve Employee Experience Connect with Casey on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-klein-961a98a/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Advertising You Just Can't Buy

Want to bring your #NPS up and get more business? I have a secret for you: turn down business. #businesstips #businessgrowth #wordofmouth https://www.spartanfoundationrepair.com/wichita

Stop Chasing Scores! Customer Loyalty isn't a Score!

Stop Chasing scores! #NPS, #CSAT, #CES - all of these scores in #customerservice and #customerexperience mean nothing if you don't understand how you can improve the experience to drive customer loyalty.

Revealing the Shocking Truth of Working with Crappy Software

No one likes crappy, soul-crushing #software! Check out the full episode featuring Mary Drumond for tips on #marketing, how #governmentjobs can be improved, and how to be #customer centric!

I Would Rather Work for Chuck E. Cheese featuring Mary Drumond

While the disdain Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson has for government is played for laughs, his view of government being inefficient and a lousy place to work is shared by many Americans. But what if government inefficiency and employee dissatisfaction are, in part, because the software tools available to government employees haven’t kept up with the private sector? What if Ron Swanson experienced government tools the same way he experienced bacon and eggs? These are the kinds of questions Marketing professionals may be asking themselves after hearing what Mary Drumond has to say. She’s focused on being customer centric in her marketing efforts, but her new market, local government, is often ignored. You’ll be surprised to hear what happens when they’re not ignored. We discuss: • What it means to be customer-centric in marketing • The importance of Voice of the Customer Data • The most cost-effective method of marketing today • Astounding misconceptions about government workers • The unexpected cost of not investing in technology • Mary issues a challenge to marketers Connect with Mary on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marydrumond/ The Customer Value Alignment (formerly Voices of CX) podcast – https://voicesofcx.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Unlocking the Secret to Delivering Outstanding Customer Experiences

Do something different, says Kristi Faltorusso! #customerservice #customersuccess #clientsuccess

Uncovering the Secret Power of Lego

#LEGO isn't just for kids. #kanban board? Yeah, you can make that from LEGO. Cork board? Yeah, you can make that from LEGO. #consulting #development #customerexperience

We Don't Take No for an Answer featuring Jim Tincher

In 1995’s Tommy Boy, Tommy Callahan used a story (rather unsuccessfully) to paint a customer experience, in this case, a B2B2C (Business to Business to Consumer) customer experience. His effort left more than a little to be desired. While stories can be an effective way to present the Customer Experience, Jim Tincher learned long ago that stories aren’t enough. After cutting his teeth in CX at Best Buy, he fell in love with B2B CX and eventually wrote a book on the subject titled Do B2B Better: Drive Growth Through Game-Changing Customer Experience. I asked him to join Next in Queue to talk about B2B CX and I didn’t take no for an answer! We discuss: • The differences between B2C, B2B, and B2B2C • The most critical customer emotions to measure • How AI will be incorporated differently in B2B CX • What separates “CX Changemakers” from “CX Hopefuls” • The potential future of customer surveys • One piece of advice regarding presenting to executives Connect with Jim on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtincher/ Books by Jim Tincher – https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07SNVH1DD?ingress=0&visitId=09a00189-8c45-4425-8a29-8f575cc5548d&store_ref=ap_rdr&ref_=ap_rdr Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/ #b2b #customerexperience #survey #ai

Aussies' Secret Goodbye Phrase

Aussie diversity, Riding (and boxing) Kangaroos, and saying goodbye - Luke Jamieson gives some insights into actual Australians! #aussie #australia #secrets #goodbye

The Rude Awakening Going from Outsourcing to Insourcing

While working in outsourced customer service may not provide the best wages, it's a breeding ground for skills, says Sean Ilenrey, VP at Dutchie. Full Episode: https://youtu.be/ZiYz-RRO-ms #customerservice #outsourcing #bpo #insourcing #skilldevelopment #callcenter #wfm

Customer Support / Success Secrets Revealed

Kristi Faltorusso shares how she's found success using customer communities to relieve the need for more CSMs and the one skill more CSMs need as the role evolves. #customerservice #customersupport #customersuccess #marketing Full Episode: https://youtu.be/oFJPptHZIBE

The World Ain’t All Sunshine and Rainbows featuring Kristi Faltorusso

Creed II was the 2018 installment of the Rocky “legacyquel” and in this moment, Rocky is about to take Adonis Creed to the middle of nowhere to begin training for his rematch against Viktor Drago. Because the variables have changed, Rocky knows that Adonis needs to make big changes to achieve the success he’s grown accustomed to. Kristi Faltorusso is an award-winning Customer Success Executive, and she has watched Client and Customer Success teams around the world (and on her own team) shrink – yet the needs of customers remain as high as ever. It led her to ask, “How do you do the work you need to do differently with the resources you have?” She’s decided it’s about making big changes in how CSMs operate. We discuss: • The role of Customer Success in an organization • Why she hates the phrase “Do more with less” • 3 strategies for supporting customers with a smaller team o Customer Community / Education o Incorporating Automation / Creative Thinking o Reassessing Roles and Skills of Existing Team Members • The biggest skill CSMs (Customer Success Managers) need to master • A shocking admission from Kristi and what she plans to do about it Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/ Keeping CS Simple – https://www.keepingcssimple.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/ Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

The Surprising Truth about Customer Loyalty

Despite all the gains in customer experience data, does customer loyalty exist? Fred Stacey shares his thoughts. #customerloyalty #customerservice #customerexperience #dataanalytics Full episode: https://youtu.be/QaOFGFr2MA4

Uncovering the Hidden Truths about Coaching in Customer Service

Coaching in Contact Centers often fails because supervisors don't really understand what coaching should be, says Amy Smith of Challenger. #customerservice #callcenter #contactcenter #coaching Full episode: https://youtu.be/tR_oWev4A0k