The Modern Customer Podcast

The customer of the future is here. Is your company ready? The last few years have caused consumers to re-evaluate their purpose and what they value in life. With new priorities, many customers are changing brands and thinking differently about their relationships with brands.  Customer experience is a decision everyone in your company needs to make every day. When you invest in making your customers’ lives easier and better, you set your company up for long-term success and loyalty. Creating a customer-centric mindset means deciding every day to put customers first. There are four ways to do that, which follow my WAYS framework.   Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

If a company wants to be customer-centric and operate in the experience economy, they have to succeed in two areas; psychological and technological. If a company has the right culture, then investing in the technology that empowers employees is a no brainer. But when a founder-CEO who has the vision leaves the company and passes it on to an accountant - that loss of vision can hurt the company. Gary Kelly is arguably to blame for lacking Southwest Airlines’ runway vision - and it has culminated in a very public PR nightmare.   Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

There’s no doubt that the future of retail is digital. And now, Saks is doubling down on that theory by spinning off its digital and e-commerce presence to create a separate entity from its physical stores. CMO Emily Essner says that the experience for customers hasn’t changed, but spinning off the digital arm allows Saks to solidify its investment in the future of digital in an increasingly complex world. The digital-specific business can focus solely on growing an omnichannel experience without other distractions. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

For years, the streaming wars dominated as more customers cut the cord on cable, new streaming services popped up to challenge Netflix, and an incredible amount of original content was produced. But the days of streaming wars are over. Customers are overrun by so many streaming services when all they want to do is watch quality shows. Netflix subscribers have flattened in recent years, and Disney+ seems to be the clear winner. In today’s experience economy, customers want incredible content. They are looking for escapism, and the company that can provide the right balance of entertainment and value will come out on top. So, what comes next for streaming? Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

Customer experience professionals face countless balancing acts: do you focus on digital or in-person experiences? Employee experience or customer experience? Build out the contact center or move to self-service options? But perhaps the biggest question is this: Do you focus on long-term strategic vision or short-term customer service? Wendy Smith, author of BOTH/AND THINKING: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems, says the answer is in changing from an either/or approach to a both/and way of thinking. Instead of feeling you have to choose just one solution, you can embrace the creative tension of both ideas. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

In a competitive industry driven (quite literally) by robots, Cruise stands out because of its focus on humans. The autonomous vehicle arm of GM thrives where many others have fallen because of a singular focus on driving innovation for customers and saving lives. Chief Communications Officer Kristine Boyden says a deep commitment to the mission of changing a broken status quo keeps employees engaged in the work and driven to produce great results.   Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

Tis the season to show gratitude. But do your customers feel your appreciation? Customers can tell when brands are excited about their business. But on the other side, customers can also tell when they aren’t valued or supported by a brand. Customers are your reason for being in business. They are central to your success, so show your gratitude. This holiday season, share your appreciation with customers through words and actions. In this episode, we'll go over six ways to show customers you’re grateful for them.

Every employee plays a role in customer experience, but they often follow the lead of the CEO. At Progressive Insurance, employees follow the customer-centric mindset of CEO Tricia Griffith, which has led to the company’s stock quadrupling in the last four years. Although there are metrics to measure and processes in place, Tricia leads with her heart and isn’t afraid to trust her gut. She puts people first by getting out of her office, taking customer calls, sitting in as agents handle claims, and surprising partners and customers with in-person visits.  *Sponsored by Calendly Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.   

What started as a college side hustle is now one of the world’s most recognizable furniture companies, with nearly a billion dollars in sales. What’s the reason for LoveSac’s incredible success? Differentiating not just on innovation, but on customer experience. LoveSac founder and CEO Shawn Nelson isn’t afraid to adapt and try new ideas to meet customers’ changing demands. LoveSac originally grew by opening retail stores across the country. But as buying habits changed, the company converted its stores to inventory-free showrooms and became a completely DTC brand. *Sponsored by Calendly Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

In the competitive financial services industry, delivering convenient, customer-centric solutions can be a significant competitive advantage. And that’s exactly the case for Discover, which ranked highest in customer satisfaction for a credit card mobile app and website by J.D. Power.   Shaida Lynch, SVP, eBusiness, says creating a relationship-based digital experience is a win for customers and the brand. Customers are more engaged and can easily track and manage their finances. They can also see everything Discover offers and open new accounts and relationships. And Discover has a more complete view of each customer to provide seamless, personalized service and recommendations. *Sponsored by Calendly Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.