The Modern Customer Podcast

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. 

Gaining a customer is one thing. Keeping them is something else.  Chris Goossens, SVP of Customer Experience at FedEx Europe, says the key to success is not just to make a customer but to grow with the customer. But growing with customers and keeping up with increasing demand and challenges can be expensive. Many companies shy away from innovation because they see it as cost-prohibitive.  That doesn’t have to be the case. Goossens says that leveraging technology and data can help companies innovate without skyrocketing costs.  Thanks to new technology, FedEx is delivering innovative customer experiences while still reducing the cost to serve. Goossens says innovation in technology innovation and big data allows the organization to scale and provide amazing service to every customer, no matter the size or value of their shipment. *Sponsored by Calendly Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. 

AI affects every aspect of our lives, from romantic and personal relationships to finances, personal care, and employment. But AI and automation also provide incredible opportunities to take your CX efforts to the next level and lead a wave of new technology. Orly Lobel, author of The Equality Machine, says AI and automation can play a pivotal role in increasing equality and changing how people interact and manage all parts of their lives.  ________ Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here. 

When you think of companies that put customers first with innovative solutions and personalized service, the wireless industry probably isn’t your first thought. But Mint Mobile is on a mission to change the traditional model and buck industry trends in the name of better service and innovation. Mint Mobile’s core mission is to provide affordable wireless service to customers. And one of the main ways it does that is with a unique direct-to-consumer model. While most other carriers have thousands of retail locations, Mint doesn’t have a single store. Aron North, Mint Mobile’s Chief Marketing Officer, says the company is always looking for the most efficient way to bring the product to customers and create an enhanced experience in a digital ecosystem. ________ Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here. 

Today’s customers demand personalized and convenient digital solutions. The challenge for brands comes when trying to provide a personalized digital experience at scale.   Bank of America is a leader in digital banking, largely because each of its 55 million digital clients has a unique and personalized experience.    Ashley Ross, SVP, Consumer and Small Business Client Care Executive, says having a strong digital presence requires brands to stay close to the data.   Bank of America surveys clients in real-time right after they interact with the bank, either digitally, on the phone, or in a physical store. That information is funneled back to the teams that manage each product or process so they can stay in tune with how customers use the product. With more than 50 million responses, the feedback provides a view of the entire customer journey to find opportunities to grow and areas for improvement.     But data doesn’t mean focusing on big data sets. Ross says the modern digital experience pivots away from massive data sets to provide personalized experiences. It’s more about using that data for each individual customer than for the entire group as a whole. Instead of looking at a single customer journey that applies to every customer, brands should view the holistic experience for each person based on their feedback and usage data.    Banking is a high-stakes industry where people are emotionally connected to the outcome. Bank of America has 55 verified digital users who expect flawless execution and continual innovation. Ross says Bank of America underwent significant digital growth and changes during the pandemic, and that growth continues. Across all products and processes, teams work together to continually invest in and innovate the digital experience. Bank of America involves people from the product, digital, customer service, and other teams to stitch together the entire customer journey. They frame the experience not in isolation but by looking at what the client is trying to do and then building tools to meet those outcomes.   One reason for Bank of America’s digital success is the mission behind the technology. Instead of building digital tools to check a box, the company uses tools to further its mission of making clients’ financial lives better. It’s not just about performing transactions—it’s about helping customers improve their financial lives. That mindset frames all decisions to build innovative, convenient, and accessible digital financial tools.   No matter if you have hundreds of customers or millions, digital tools provide an opportunity to connect with them individually and provide personalized service. By staying close to data, keeping the customers in mind, and involving the entire company, you can become a digital leader.  ________ Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here.