Next in Queue

AI in 80’s films was often scary. WOPR in WarGames. Skynet in The Terminator. Master Control Program in Tron. But 1985’s Weird Science made AI sexy, that is, if you can call Kelly LeBrock’s Lisa character AI. But she was created on a computer and trained on all the data Gary and Wyatt could feed it. How “human” she was exceeded all their expectations. But when Lisa became part of their reality, Gary and Wyatt found themselves in new and challenging situations. Those experiences helped them gain confidence and “grow up.” Today’s AI can solve complex problems just like Lisa. Corinne Flanagan should know – she’s deployed a virtual agent named Kate to help Smartsheet users through all kinds of technical questions. That has reserved the new and challenging situations for her team of human support agents. And they’re gaining confidence and evolving to Smartsheet’s Support Agent 3.0 – human concierge agents that provide incredible customer experiences.• Support evolution at Smartsheet• The team’s response to AI• How training and hiring have changed• Lessons learned from AI deployment• AI’s impact on agent burnout and job satisfaction• Building community and recognition among support teamsConnect with Corinne on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-flanagan-6b20842/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

Many rock musicians have been honored as inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But John Fogerty’s 1985 hit, Centerfield, got him honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Today, it’s a fixture at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and just about every ballpark across the country. Baseball and its heroes have been mythologized as a deeply American tradition. But like anything else, it has evolved with technology, even so far as to use an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System in the Major Leagues as of 2026. While technology is continually being introduced in sports, humans are still at the center of the action.Sports are hardly the only domain where technology has continued to drive change. Customer Service interactions have long evolved as new technologies have been introduced to contact centers. AI “bots” or Virtual Agents are simply the next evolution. But humans should still be at the center of the action, says Jeff Toister. Jeff’s authored five books on Customer Service and this year, he was inducted into the ICMI Hall of Fame. This week, we discuss: • The Human Element in Customer Service• The Impact of Greetings on Customer Experience• AI in Customer Service: Opportunities and Concerns• The Evolution of AI and Human Interaction• Creating Human Connections in Customer Service• The Role of AI in Routine Transactions• Skills Unique to Humans in Customer Service• The Future of AI and Human CollaborationConnect with Jeff on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/jefftoister Jeff Toister's Website - https://toistersolutions.com/ Human Service Book - https://humanservicebook.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

Employing a stark departure from the bland, clinical approach previous manuals had taken, Alex Comfort’s 1972 book, The Joy of Sex, took the world by storm. The illustrated manual spent over a year in the top five of the New York Times Best Seller list. It was an entirely different and liberating approach to the intimate relationships that are part of the human experience. The following year, Motown soul legend, Marvin Gaye, released the #1 single, Let’s Get It On, his own musical plea for sexual liberation. The Joy of CEHX, that’s C for Customer, E for Employee, H for Human, and X for eXperience, is a different kind of plea for liberation. Aileen Day has written a book that also employs a stark departure from the bland, clinical approach previous CX manuals have taken. She joins Next in Queue this week to discuss:• The Joy of Sex and Customer Experience• The Human Experience in Business• Trust and Brand Loyalty• The Dynamics of Retail and Manufacturing• Online Dating and Authenticity• The Importance of Honest Feedback• An Exercise in Trust • XM Global Collaborative and Future EndeavorsConnect with Aileen on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileen-day-1800valued/ The Joy of CEHX – https://aileenday.com.au/book/ XM Global Collaborative – https://www.xmgc.org/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

If I asked you to think of a hit TV show set in Miami during the late 80’s, Miami Vice would likely be the first thing that pops into your head. But lasting longer, bringing in far more awards, and featuring American treasure, Betty White, I would argue the Golden Girls had an even more lasting impact on the world. A sitcom featuring 4 single, older women living together and navigating their “golden years” together was a revelation. Their lived experiences informed how they approached every situation. This scene, featuring Estelle Getty’s character, Sophia, reminds us of a simpler time in technology – when the answering machine was the peak of communication technology in the home.Clearly, communication technology has evolved a LOT since then, both in our homes and in contact centers. That evolution in technology requires new skills of contact center leaders, says Ty Givens. She’s experienced this evolution first-hand and today, she guides CX leaders through the challenges that come with a growing business. • Technology's Impact on Leadership• The Importance of Data Literacy• B2B vs B2C Customer Understanding• Navigating Customer Experience in Hyper-Growth Companies• Identifying Skill Gaps in Leadership• Strategic Thinking in Rapid Growth Mode• Understanding Vendor Relationships and Contracts• The Future of AI and Human InteractionConnect with Ty on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tybryantgivens/ CX Collective – https://www.cxcollective.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

Nate Gibson may not be a household name, but his rockabilly novelty, Duck Butt, released in 2017, reminds us that there’s something silly about our favorite feathered waterfowl. Ducks may seem elegant, but when they need to eat, they put their beak in the water, and their tail goes up and that’s when you see those legs churning in the water. Chaos.You’re on stage. There are 100 people in the audience. You’re beginning to sweat. You’re holding the podium in front of you and your presentation is frozen. Sounds like chaos. When Dean Griess sat down to write a book about public speaking, he wanted to make sure that the readers wouldn’t feel silly in front of an audience. He wanted to help them glide smoothly along the stage and not flail furiously like a duck with its butt in the air. His book, Don’t Show Your Duck Butt, contains practical strategies to conquer nervousness, capture attention, and create remarkable experiences. • Understanding Public Speaking Fears• The Vulnerability of Speaking to an Audience• Tips for Overcoming Nervousness• The Importance of Body Language• Navigating Technology in Presentations• Buying Time During Presentations• The Role of Breaks in Long SessionsConnect with Dean on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/deangriess/Get your copy of Don’t Show Your Duck Butt – https://deangriess.com/about-the-book/ Nate Gibson – http://www.nathandgibson.com/index.html Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/