CX News

 

We just wrapped up CX Now NYC and it was a joy to bring so many CX leaders in one space to share ideas and strategies. I took lots of notes, so here are the key insights that stood out to me.

Photo of an event called CX Now NYC with Kustomer CEO Brad Birnbaum on stage with three screens and attendees sitting at round tables watching, against a backdrop of floor to ceiling windows and a city view.

Key Insights:

  • Top priorities: Nicole Kyle of CMP Research shared that automation remains the #1 executive priority, followed by expanding self-service and integrating GenAI—all under increasing cost pressure. Plus, when it comes to self-service, demand for self service from consumers is growing but adoption is not at the same pace - the quality is lacking. Consumers want to try it, but it’s not up to par.
  • AI as the next wave of customer engagement: Jill Stone of Anthropic shared that brands are sitting on massive amounts of unstructured data. The best uses right now are pattern recognition. Once you understand who your customers really are, you can move from reactive to proactive, and that’s the next wave of customer engagement.
  • What leaders would do differently: Cate Marques of Terra Kaffe, John Navas of Allivet, and Jose Herrera of Horatio unanimously agreed they wish they took steps even earlier to adopt things that allowed them to deliver the kinds of service customers wanted.
  • Use AI for intangible things: Rebecca Blount of Coterie shared that some of the best uses of AI are addressing nebulous things without a defined cost pain point but that matter to the organization. These include finding insights and opportunities to deliver an even better experience from positive reviews, where someone leaves a 5 star review but has feedback embedded within the text, disseminating information for change management. It can handle things that used to cause a lot of stress that had an intangible negative impact on the organization from the stress caused.
  • Don’t be in the dust: Madeline Michelson of Shopify encouraged leaders to adopt AI now even in the hype stage while leaders and board members are in the “blank check” mode - otherwise you may find yourself left in the dust five years from now.

I also got the chance to speak with attendees and our lunchtime conversation covered AI adoption and returns fraud - a huge problem in ecommerce. As one attendee told me, “AI is this generation’s calculator.” Both CX leaders and consumers are using it. The brands that integrate it thoughtfully will lead the next era of customer connection.

We’re doing it all again next week in LA with a different lineup of speakers and panelists for even more insights. If you’re in southern California or can find yourself there next Wednesday, snag one of the last spots at CX Now LA on Wednesday 10/22 here. 

Tune In

Image of Hope Dorman and Kaylyn Hernandez on a webinar with a play button superimposed

Customer retention is a challenge for all businesses, but it’s particularly critical for membership-based businesses. I spoke with Kaylyn Hernandez, Head of Customer Success and Product at Ludus to dig into all things customer stickiness.

She covers:

  • Early signals that might indicate a customer is at risk of leaving and how to intervene
  • Where CX leaders can start when it comes to customer retention strategies
  • What works (and what doesn't) to encourage customers to adopt multiple parts of the Ludus platform

Watch on demand now!

AI Headlines


Introducing the Next Evolution of AI-Native CX
Kustomer introduces the next evolution of customer experience — the AI-Native CX platform. Built on a unified data foundation, it transforms context into intelligence and intelligence into action. Explore four new AI-powered assistants for agents, workflows, knowledge, and search redefine what’s possible for modern CX teams.

Why AI Will Widen the Gap Between Superstars and Everybody Else - like other technology, the most engaged super-users will find ways to maximize value from the technology by going beyond basic use cases. Managers can level the field by investing in AI literacy training and encouraging all employees, not just top performers, to experiment with AI.

AI agent? Ex-Utd prospect used ChatGPT to negotiate move - Even pro athletes can take advantage of AI. A former Manchester United prospect used AI to negotiate his move without an agent, and called it “his best agent to date.”

Colorado town pilots AI customer service telephone agent
A Denver suburb with a population of ~115,000 is piloting an AI agent over the phones to be available 24/7 and help callers in 25 languages. Residents can still talk to a human during business hours, but AI can fill gaps.

Ricoh survey: brand loyalty comes from genuine human connections
Majority of consumers report that brands relying on mostly human support will be the most trusted, and 85% of consumers are more likely to remain loyal to companies prioritizing “genuine human service” - but Millennials are most open to a blend of human and AI service.