Jon Picoult, bestselling author and CX thought leader was my first guest in 2022 when The Delighted Customers Podcast launched. He was gracious enough to come back for episode 100 to talk about his His landmark study on the ROI of customer experience is one of the most widely cited pieces of research in the industry. Jon sheds light on the groundbr…

In the episode, Guy Shalom, the CEO of Glassix, shared the personal story behind the company's inception. Glassix began as a solution to a personal challenge: both of his parents have the same disability, which made effective communication challenging. This experience inspired Guy to develop a solution that could improve communication not only for …

Trust in CX: Lessons from the Executive Assistant to Ronald Reagan In the latest episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, Peggy Grande shares her fascinating journey from a regular middle-class family to becoming the executive assistant to President Ronald Reagan. From her unlikely selection to be the executive assistant for Ronald Reagan to her…

Ken Peterson is the President of QuestionPro’s Customer Experience Division and joined me for an enlightening conversation about the intersection of AI and CX. QuestionPro’s Voice of the Customer platform already incorporates AI in its range of products from basic surveys to complex research, customer experience and employee engagement. GenAI promi…

Imagine that you’ve been asked to lead a credit union in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. With a rich background in financial and nonprofit marketing, Kristen Heisey has been steering Everence Federal Credit Union towards new heights for the past two years. Under her leadership, the credit union has not only navigated through post-COVID challeng…

Imagine walking into a clinic feeling anxious about a possible cancer diagnosis and leaving with all your concerns addressed, feeling genuinely cared for and understood. Unfortunately, for too many patients today, that’s simply not the case. The pressure of production goals, burned out and short-handed physicians, and an increase in administrative …

Improving Customer Loyalty through Martech and AI-Powered Solutions Greg Kihlstrom is a best selling author with nearly 20 books on Martech and customer experience management. Greg shares fresh insights into how companies can leverage marketing technology and AI to bolster customer loyalty and satisfaction. Whether you're a C-suite executive or a m…

Have you ever wondered how digital experience and AI can transform your customer interactions? Andrew Carothers, CCXP, a senior digital experience leader in the CX area at Cisco Systems, shared insights from this multinational leader's industry-leading portfolio of technology innovations, including networking, security, collaboration, and cloud man…

Transforming Workplace Culture Through Employee Experience Dr. James Killian is an expert in the field of employee experience. He has held high-impact global leadership positions at Qualtrics, SAP, IBM, Hogan Assessment Systems, and led several startups to record growth, and he’s a professor in the Masters of Science CXM program at Michigan State U…

The Science of Sticky Ideas: Crafting Memorable CX Strategies We revealed some powerful insights from "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath on my latest podcast episode with Megan Burns! We explored why some ideas thrive while others fade away, and how leaders can apply these principles to make a lasting impact. From the death of traditional butter…

Ritz Carlton is not just a brand. It’s a brand that sets the bar for customer experience. It was an incredible honor to host one of the icons in customer experience, Horst Schulze, the co-founder and former president of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. We talk about his new book, Excellence Wins, and he shares insights that transcend the hospitality…

Salesforce.com is THE leader among their peers (11 straight years) in Customer Relationship Management solutions. Phil Nanus leads Salesforce’s Customer Success organization, a team of over 2000 employees. He shared invaluable insights into how Salesforce is revolutionizing customer success through innovation, trust, and technology. Here are my 3 k…

How Bilt Uses 3-D Instructions to Enrich Lives “...Bilt's greatest usage by just sheer volume, happens literally on Christmas Eve and early, early in the wee hours of Christmas morning. And, you know, parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles there, you know, put the kids to bed and -okay, now let's go and assemble this in a bike and a play set…

CX leaders are faced with one of the most difficult challenges in their organization. They have small teams and limited positional authority and therefore need the support of others to make progress. Patty Soltis, CCXP, shares her wisdom from decades of experience leading change in great brands like Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, The Moffitt Cancer …

Do we make buying decisions as individuals or individuals who are part of a group? The answer may surprise you. Gary David, PhD is a Professor of Sociology and Experience Design at Bentley University. Dr. David has been researching sociology and its intersection with the business world for several decades. His findings challenge the status quo when…

The Science of Brand Love What makes brands like Apple and Nike not just recognized, but truly loved. Dr. Ahuvia’s book, The Things We Love, explains the psychology behind brand love, and it has been named by Amazon as a “best business book.” He conducted the first scientific studies of brand love some 30 years ago and continues to lead research on…

In today's fast-paced networked economy, professionals (especially CX pros) must work harder than ever to maintain and improve their business skills and knowledge. But technical mastery of one's discipline is not enough and that’s why Charles H. Green co-authored the Trusted Advisor (and the recently published the 20th Anniversary edition). The key…

Lessons from Taylor Swift About How to Create Superfans with Brittany Hodak Have you ever wondered why some celebrities create a swarm of superfans that become lifelong advocates for them (and others, not so much)? My guest on this episode of the Delighted Customers Podcast worked her way up from radio station mascot to the head of a marketing agen…

Jennifer Ashman is a CX thought leader and experience design expert. She has been in the field for over two decades and is a Professor of Practice at Michigan State University, where she teaches Experience Design in the Master's Degree program in Customer Experience Management. Jennifer shares some real world examples to help make the conversation …

You’ve just been hired as the Chief Experience Officer to run a financial services firm. What are the keys to driving sustained success? Join CXO Eric Smuda share his insights on the keys (and the challenges) to leading successful change by driving outstanding customer experiences. My favorite quote from Eric? “If you’re not using CX as your growth…

How can you design experiences to drive customer loyalty? Kevin Budelmann is an Experience Design expert, a professor at both Michigan State and Northwestern Universities, and authored Brand Identity Essentials. He brings over a quarter-century shaping design, strategy, and brand experience. We explore the converging paths of behavioral economics, …

Dr. Judy Wolfe, who still practices as an ER doctor, talks about the transformative power of patient experience in healthcare. We dive into the critical role of trust, and how reimagining job titles and communication training can revolutionize caregiver-patient interactions. Dr. Judy highlights the urgency of embracing change management and the dir…

Keith Ferguson brings his wealth of experience as an entrepreneur along with his career in academia (MSU and FSU) to share his wisdom on customer advocacy. Keith defines customer advocacy and then we talk about the financial impact of having customers who truly advocate for your brand. Keith shares some common mistakes about consumer behavior throu…

Joe Pine is on my Mount Rushmore of Customer Experience. He shares the exact moment, quite by accident, that the concept of "experience" as the next economy after the service economy was hatched. In 2020 Mr. Pine and his partner James H. Gilmore re-released in hardcover The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money featu…

Pink Zebra Moving: Differentiating on CX for Explosive Growth with CEO, Ron Holt I can’t think of a better illustration of how to prove the ROI of Customer Experience. Ron Holt sees opportunities in bad customer experiences. In fact, he built a successful home cleaning based on disrupting a legacy industry by differentiating the experience his cust…