Be Customer Led

Have you ever wondered how a cruise line seamlessly orchestrates unforgettable guest experiences across floating cities?In today's conversation, Alvin Stokes, VP, Global Reservations, Service & Casino Operations & CRM at Princess Cruises, shares how he became a powerhouse leader driving AI-powered customer experience transformation.Moreover, Alvin breaks down the cruise industry's operational complexity and explains how Princess Cruises moved from traditional sampling to a fully AI-driven census of guest interactions. By leveraging tools such as Sierra AI and machine learning, his team transformed agent workflows and untangled fragmented legacy systems. It revitalized outbound sales, driving 19 straight months of over 25 percent year-over-year growth.[01:58] Alvin’s Career Journey[04:20] Leadership and Industry Complexity[07:06] AI and Data Transformation[12:29] Driving Cross-Departmental Collaboration[20:48] Solving Operational Challenges[25:58] AI Successes in Sales and Service[29:12] Emotional Intelligence and Personalization[34:47] The Future of HospitalityConnect with Alvin:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alvinstokesWebsite: princess.com

AI isn't just assisting teams anymore. It's joining them as full-time digital coworkers.Gabe Larsen, Chief Revenue Officer at Atonom, breaks down the shift toward truly autonomous organizations. Drawing from his diverse career across Wall Street, Toyota, Meta, and top SaaS companies, Gabe shares how businesses can scale smarter without endlessly adding headcount.He introduces the game-changing concept of "cloud employees": multimodal AI agents designed to handle entire roles across chat, email, and phone, not just basic scripted tasks. Through real-world examples, Gabe details practical strategies for seamless deployment. He also addresses critical topics such as data security, board-level ROI, and guiding human teams through the cultural shift of working alongside AI. [02:24] Gabe's Career Background[06:31] The Shift Toward Autonomous Organizations[09:06] Defining the Cloud Employee Concept[16:48] Implementation Success and Lessons Learned[29:44] Strategies for Successful AI Integration[38:40] Managing Security and Organizational Culture [44:16] Contact InformationConnect with Gabe:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gabelarsen/Website: atonom.ai

What if the biggest CX problems aren't really about technology at all?In this conversation, Anna Falcon, VP, CX Transformation Practice Leader at MCA Connect, shares her view on what it takes to create better customer experiences.Anna explains why true transformation needs more than a new CRM or AI tool, and requires the right mix of people, processes, technology, and a clear customer vision. She also shares a powerful example of a company that cut its sales cycle from 60 days to just one week through a lead-to-cash transformation. The conversation explores how businesses can measure CX success, why employee engagement matters, and where AI can make the biggest difference."AI and technology should help enable and empower everything around the human and remove the friction and the mental load and the activity and things that make it harder to be a good human, but it shouldn’t replace the human. It should enable, empower, support and enable humans to connect better." - Anna Falcon[01:03] Anna's Professional Background[06:51] Defining CX Transformation[08:01] Case Study: Lead to Cash Transformation[14:21] Measuring Success in CX Transformations[16:43] The Role of AI in CRM Ecosystems[20:14] Practical AI Use Cases for Business[30:29] What's Next for CX?[33:18] Contact InformationConnect with Anna:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annafalcon/Website: mcaconnect.com/

What does it take to deliver world-class customer support in an AI-driven world? In this episode, Mark McKercher, VP of Global Customer Support at Sovos, explores how B2B customer experience has evolved and what the future of support looks like. He shares lessons from his career across Amazon, Google, Samsung, Roku, and Sovos, and explains why customer effort and outcomes now matter more than traditional speed metrics. Mark discusses how AI is transforming support, from automating simple interactions to enabling teams to focus on complex customer needs. He also shares practical lessons on AI adoption, change management, data quality, global support, partner ecosystems, and measuring impact.HIGHLIGHTS[02:05] Mark's Career Journey and Role at Sovos[04:17] Shifts in World-Class Customer Support [07:00] Impact of AI on Customer Support [09:32] Complexities of Global Support at Sovos [16:34] Partner Integration and AI Deployment [25:52] Metrics and Success Measurement[34:38] Future of Global Support Roles Connect with Mark:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mmckercher/Website: sovos.com/

What happens when AI stops being a buzzword and starts changing how contact centers actually work?Meet Jon Lunitz, the Chief Growth Officer at DATAMARK.Jon talks about his career and how working on both the client and supplier sides helps him understand what businesses really need. He also explains DATAMARK's approach to AI, where technology supports people instead of replacing them.Jon also explores DATAMARK's human-in-the-loop approach, including DataSmart, an AI-powered knowledge tool, and DataScribe, which automates after-call work while analyzing customer sentiment. Looking ahead, Jon argues that contact centers are moving beyond labor arbitrage toward higher-value work, where problem-solving, empathy, and critical thinking become increasingly essential.HIGHLIGHTS[02:04] Jon's Professional Background[04:59] Overview of DATAMARK[07:33] DATAMARK's In-House AI Tools[10:50] Deep Dive into DataSmart[18:01] Capabilities of DataScribe[21:28] AI Impact on Business Models and ROI[27:50] The Future of Contact Centers[35:19] Upcoming DATAMARK DevelopmentsConnect with Jon:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jon-lunitzWebsite: datamark.net/Mentioned in the episode:Blueprint for Customer Obsession: amazon.com/Blueprint-Customer-Obsession-Marbue-Brown