CX Files

In this episode of the CX Files, Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan look at the changing European nearshore landscape before Peter talks to Jeton Aliu, Founder and CEO of Olymp BPO in Pristina, Kosovo. Jeton explains why Kosovo is becoming an increasingly important CX and BPO delivery location. He discusses the rapid growth of the local outsourcing industry, the availability of a young and multilingual workforce, and Kosovo's particular strength in languages including German and English. The conversation also explores the growth of delivery beyond Pristina, government support for the industry, and the biggest challenge still facing Kosovo: building greater international awareness and trust as a serious European outsourcing destination. Mark and Peter also discuss how the traditional European nearshore model is changing, as countries once viewed primarily as outsourcing locations increasingly become consumer markets themselves — creating a much more complex European CX delivery landscape. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jetonaliu8/ http://olympbpo.com/ https://kiesa.rks-gov.net/   Summary: Kosovo was presented as a growing, multilingual European nearshore BPO destination with strong potential but limited global awareness. Industry Growth The BPO sector has expanded significantly since the early 2010s, with approximately 20,000 professionals across more than 120 companies. BPO and ITO reportedly generated more than $2.3 billion in 2025 and 2026, becoming a major contributor to economic growth and youth employment. Pristina is the primary hub, while Prizren, Peja, Ferizaj, and Gjilan have growing delivery centers. Competitive Advantages Kosovo offers English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, and other language capabilities. German and English are especially competitive, supported by diaspora connections and multilingual education beginning in childhood. The country is described as safe, accessible, cost-competitive, and supported by government grants for newly formed BPOs. Growth Challenges How can Kosovo increase international market awareness and build trust with prospective buyers? Yeton identified recognition and education about Kosovo's BPO capabilities as the main challenges to industry maturation. KIESA, the Kosovo Investment and Enterprise Support Agency, was identified as a source of additional information.

In this episode of CX Files, Mark Hillary talks to Matt Fry, SVP for AI, CX and Digital Transformation at eClerx and publisher of The CX Marketplace, about why culture cannot simply be outsourced. Inspired by Matt's Substack article Culture Cannot Be Outsourced, the conversation explores why successful CX partnerships require shared responsibility between clients and BPO providers. They discuss culture during the RFP process, employee engagement and attrition, the importance of client involvement, and how relationships can move beyond SLAs and penalties toward shared ownership of the customer experience. Matt also explains why culture may be even more important as AI, automation and agentic technologies reshape customer service. ----- Culture Cannot Be Outsourced https://thecxmarketplace.substack.com/p/culture-cannot-be-outsourced  The CX Marketplace https://thecxmarketplace.substack.com/    https://eclerx.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewefry/ Summary: Matt explains why creating a successful BPO relationship requires a shared 50-50 responsibility for culture between the client and the service provider. Cultural Partnership Matt Fry argues that corporate culture in contact centers cannot be outsourced and must be a collaborative effort between the BPO and the client. While it is common to assume the BPO is solely responsible for maintaining a positive environment, Matt suggests that clients must actively participate to ensure deep engagement. Clients should focus on transferring "why" something matters rather than just transferring technical processes or product knowledge. Effective integration involves leadership from both sides engaging with the operational environment to build mutual purpose. A lack of client engagement can lead to employees feeling like anonymous resources, especially as AI and automation make work more transactional. Strategic Procurement Matt notes that traditional RFP processes often fail to capture cultural compatibility because they focus on static values rather than dynamic behaviors. To find true partners instead of transactional vendors, companies must reframe their selection criteria. Questions should focus on how organizations will solve problems together when performance falls short. The goal is to assess whether both parties are willing to modify their operating models to support long-term collaboration after the contract is signed. Governance Evolution Transitioning from a vendor-client relationship to a partnership requires shifting governance away from pure metric monitoring toward shared outcomes. Matt highlights that relying solely on SLAs, targets, and penalties keeps a relationship stuck in a transactional state. Meetings should move beyond discussing missed targets or service credits to address customer insights and avoidable demand. Trust is built incrementally when a supplier identifies risks early and brings innovative solutions rather than just focusing on the scorecard. How can cost-sensitive sectors balance the expense of cultural integration with the high costs of attrition caused by poor culture?

Peter Ryan talks to Andrew Kokes, Chief Marketing Advisor at Pivot AI Global, about how AI is fundamentally changing B2B marketing and sales. As buyers increasingly use ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other AI platforms to research suppliers and build shortlists, traditional search engine visibility is no longer enough. Andrew explains why companies now need to think about AI discoverability — ensuring that answer engines understand who they are, what they do, and why they should be recommended. The conversation explores why clear positioning and a well-defined niche matter more than ever, how websites need to evolve from digital brochures into machine-readable knowledge bases, and why credible third-party articles, analyst coverage and customer reviews can influence whether AI recommends a business. For CX and BPO providers, especially smaller and emerging companies, the message is simple: doing great work is no longer enough. You also need to make sure the machines know about it. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkokes/ https://www.pivotaiglobal.com/   Mark Hillary's book "If AI Can't See You, You Don't Exist" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4Q9VMPP   Summary: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the evolving landscape of customer experience (CX) and business process outsourcing (BPO) with Andrew Kokes, Chief Marketing Advisor for Pivot AI Global. They explore the concept of discoverability, emphasizing the shift from traditional Google searches to AI-driven answer engines like ChatGPT and Gemini. Kokes highlights the importance of clear positioning, consistent messaging, and third-party validation for smaller BPOs to remain relevant. He also stresses the need for a modern digital strategy that caters to both AI and human audiences, including maintaining up-to-date, accessible content. The conversation underscores the necessity for a fundamental rethink in marketing strategies to adapt to AI's impact on search and discovery.

CX Files will return on September 3, 2026. Enjoy the summer! Mark & Peter

LinkedIn Has Lost the Plot — Can the CX Community Fix It? LinkedIn was once the essential networking platform for business professionals, but today it can feel overwhelmed by sponsored posts, algorithmic recommendations, automated sales messages and bland AI-generated content. Even genuine attempts to connect and start conversations are increasingly met with silence or suspicion. Peter Ryan talks to Simma Kularatna, Head of New Business at Interact Contact Centres, about why LinkedIn has become so difficult to navigate and whether it can still deliver value for the CX community. Drawing on her experience of spending several hours each day using the platform, Simma explores how professionals can rebuild trust, create more authentic content and turn passive connections into meaningful business relationships. https://www.linkedin.com/in/skularatna/ https://interactcc.com/ Summary: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the relevance and challenges of LinkedIn for the CX community. They reflect on the platform's evolution, noting an increase in AI-generated content and sponsored posts, which dilutes the quality of engagement. Simma Kularatna, from Interact Contact Centres, joins to discuss the decline in genuine connections and relationships on LinkedIn. She emphasizes the need to rebuild trust and engage authentically, suggesting proactive commenting and creating a dedicated CX leaders page. They agree on the importance of LinkedIn for professional networking and advocate for a return to its original purpose of building meaningful business relationships.