The CX Leader Podcast | A resource for customer experience leaders

In this bonus episode, Pat Gibbons describes his experiences at the Qualtrics X4 event in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 1-3. With thousands of experience management professionals in attendance, Pat had an opportunity to discuss the top challenges facing XM professionals within their own organizations. Hosted at the Walker exhibit booth, professionals were asked to participate in an unique exercise that demonstrated the concerns experience management leaders are facing. Read more about X4 and details results from the exercise on our blog: https://walkerinfo.com/top-xm-challenges-results-from-x4/ Find a transcript of this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/bonus-2024-x4-results/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/

Bonus content are audio clips of interviews that we couldn't include in an episode but still contains great advice for our listeners, and this content is only available to those that follow the show through their favorite podcast provider. In the episode " The Empathetic Frontline" (episode #307) released back in March, guest Victoria Stephens from Flywire discussed the importance of employee experience as it relates to providing the best possible customer experience. Host Sara Walker asks how Flywire balances the advantages of automation versus live interactions during support calls and how the data from those interactions helps improve the CX/EX balance. Listen to the original episode at: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/the-empathetic-frontline/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/  

Bonus Content! We interview many great customer experience professionals and they have a ton of great advice to share. But sometimes we have leave some of the interview out of the final episode in order to keep our podcasts a reasonable length. So you're not left out of hearing all the wonderful content our guests provide, we'll occasionally release material that was left out of the final episode as bonus content. This content is only available to those that follow the show through their favorite podcast provider. In our episode "Becoming Customer Obsessed" (episode #302), guest Marbue Brown discusses the importance of being creative when it comes to anticipating customer needs. During the interview with host Pat Gibbons, he told a touching story about a company that when above and beyond to help a customer in need. The story didn't make it in the original episode so we're releasing it as bonus content. Listen to the original episode at: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/becoming-customer-obsessed/  Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

Most customer experience pros know about transactional and relational surveys, but did you know there's a third kind of survey you may need to use? Add the confusion of which surveys are best sent often or once a year, versus how long they should be, it can get frustrating for you - or your customer - on deciding what survey to use when. Walker expert Heather Koiro clears up the "survey confusion" with her Quick Tip Minicast! Listen to more Quick Tips at http://cxleaderpodcast.com/quicktips/ Explore more episode of The CX Leader Podcast at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

Companies often struggle with knowing their customer's needs and why they actually stay customers. Are they happy? Are they looking elsewhere for their needs? Why are they not happy? Segmenting these customers into a loyalty scale is common, but not necessarily actionable. On this episode of The CX Leader Quick Tips Minicast, Michelle Buretta, a vice president at Walker, shares how the Walker Loyalty Matrix™ provides businesses with a practical means to leverage the voice of the customer for improved business performance. Learn more about Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleburetta/ Read more about the Walker Loyalty Matrix™: https://walkerinfo.com/solutions/loyalty-matrix/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/quicktips/

You're ready to get going on gathering customer feedback, but there's always that looming question: what will we ask them and how much is too much survey? On this edition of The CX Leader Quick Tips Minicast, Walker expert Molly Work gives helpful advice on how to determine the right amount of questions to ask in a survey.  Listen to more Quick Tips at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/quicktips/  Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

You've planned a great program for gaining customer feedback, but there's just one problem: a low response rate. On this edition of The CX Leader Quick Tips Minicast, Walker expert Drew Hall has some advice on how to manage your lists to encourage a healthier response rate, therefore gathering a better quality of customer feedback. Listen to more Quick Tips at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/quicktips/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/   

Respondents to your surveys are like notes in a symphony of data: if the right notes are played, you have a musical masterpiece. But if some are playing wrong notes, a dissonant chaos of sound can confuse the listeners. In the inaugural edition of The CX Leader Quick Tips Minicast, Walker expert Tanner Smith discusses how CX experts can make certain they're playing the right notes so they have clear insights into their customers.  Listen to more Quick Tips at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/quicktips/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

It's a great time to be a CX leader and we here at Walker have had a fun time producing this podcast. But after over 330 episodes speaking with fantastic people from across the globe, covering topics to help you get the most from customer experience, it's time to put away the microphones. This is the last episode of The CX Leader Podcast, at least for now. And the reason is not complicated: we here at Walker have shifted our marketing strategy and are devoting resources to other activities. All the great content we've produced from the podcast will still be available at cxleaderpodcast.com, and you can always rely on Walker as the authoritative source for customer experience and experience management. Host Chris Higgins welcomes former hosts Troy Powell, Sara Walker, Pat Gibbons, and Steve Walker for a look back on their favorite guests, topics, and what CX leaders should look forward to in 2025.  Find a transcript for this episode on our show note page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/all-good-things/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpocast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/

Change is hard. And that's not the first time we've said those words on this podcast. When it involves breaking through entrenched practices within a company, it can be especially difficult - but not impossible. With a little buy-in, some quick wins to demonstrate the possibilities, and some awareness to the importance of customer centricity, you can create a culture that views CX as a game-winning strategy. Host Sara Walker welcomes Talar Ozcanian, director of customer experience business aviation and helicopter aviation training at CAE, an aviation simulation and technology company, and winners of the digital transformation category at the 2024 US CX Awards, to discuss their digital transformation. Find a transcript for this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/a-soaring-transformation/ Learn more about CAE on their website: https://www.cae.com/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

While it might not seem significant at first, securing a place to park your car is an important event. Sure, it's not life or death, but during large events it can be time sensitive. Sometimes it's the first experience people have when attending a concert or a large conference, so when the logistics are not working efficiently, it creates a frustrating experience for someone just looking for a safe place to park their car. But work to create a great employee experience and give them the tools to foster a customer centric mentality, you might have the recipe for an award-winning program. Host Pat Gibbons welcomes Andrea Cedillo, head of customer support at ParkHub, to explore their award-winning CX program. Find a transcript for this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/a-space-for-customers/  Learn more about Parkhub at https://parkhub.com/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

Today's marketing playbooks put social media at the top of many strategies, but regardless of its prevalence, your website is still your business hub and a vital extension of your brand. But when your customers say your site is not friendly or functional, it's time to rethink your online experience. And in once such case we're exploring on this episode, the result was award winning. Host Sara Walker welcomes Rajesh Sankaran, Senior VP of eCommerce for A-Max Auto Insurance, for a discussion about their award-winning approach to improving how customers interact with their website.  Find a transcript of this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/take-the-transaction-out-of-the-interaction/ Learn more about A-MAX Auto Insurance at https://www.amaxinsurance.com/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

Think of some of the best experiences you have had as a customer. What made it great? Did you feel like the experience matched the company's identity? Did any of it feel like it wasn't meeting the company's brand promise? Great experiences are consistent: you know what to expect when you interact with an organization that reflects their brand through their CX efforts. Host Sara Walker welcomes Chelsea Reynolds, marketing manager for YuMOVE, for a discussion on keeping experiences consistent with your organization's brand.  For a trascript of the episode, please visit the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/consistency-is-the-key/ Learn more about YuMOVE at https://yumove.com/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

It's not easy changing people's minds. But we're approaching a season in which customer experience professionals are working hard to convince executives and peers on the value of adopting a customer-centric mindset. WE as CX pros know the value of our efforts, but sometimes we have to convince others of its advantages. And sometimes data isn't enough. We have to balance the data with storytelling to build confidence in others about the value of customer experience. Troy Powell hosts with guests Pat Gibbons, SVP at Walker, and Megan Burns, a customer experience expert, author, and keynote speaker. Find a transcript for this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/the-cx-conundrum-of-changing-minds/ Learn more about Megan at https://megan-burns.com/ Download Walker's Storytelling Workbook at https://walkerinfo.com/cxleader/cx-storytelling-workbook/ Listen to more podcasts at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

Listening to your customers is the "window" to knowing how well your organization is performing in its customer experience efforts. Whether it's an online support chat, a voice of the customer through employee program, or a CSAT survey, each of these touchpoints provide a metric to how your customers view your company. But HOW you create these listening opportunities matters, and keeping them consistent with your company's brand is important. Pat Gibbons welcomes Joe Chiew, senior manager of consumer insights and voice of the customer at The Guitar Center Company, for a discussion on creating consistent listening experiences. Find the transcript for this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/the-harmonious-experience/ Learn more about Guitar Center at https://www.guitarcenter.com/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

Producer's note: this episode originally dropped on October 11, 2022. While some details may have changed since it's original publication, we think Dan Silvert's insights on the importance of healthy relationships between employees is a great example of create excellent employee experiences.  Many companies use them: personality tests or evaluations - ways to help employees discover more about how they and their colleagues work with others. Some might roll their eyes at the mention of them yet others find them very useful in trying to connect to other people in their company. Regardless of how you feel about them, the goal is ultimately a better-working team. And employees working well together means there's better potential for excellent customer experiences. Host Steve Walker welcome Dan Silvert, a partner and president of the Velocity Advisory Group, a strategic consulting company. Read more about Velocity Advisory Group: https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/ More about Dan's book, "The True Competitive Advantage: A Practical Guide to Achieving Extraordinary Success through Deep Relationships": https://www.amazon.com/True-Competitive-Advantage-Extraordinary-Relationships/dp/1619618567/ Listen to more episodes and subscribe to The CX Leader Podcast at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/

As consumers we've all interacted in different ways with companies. Sometimes an automated system, online chat, an app on our phones, or even a live human being. But as customer experience professionals, how do we know which channel is the best option and the most preferred by consumers? And how will AI fit into all this? Host Sara Walker welcomes James Scutt, a principle XM strategist at the Qualtrics XM Institute for a look at what their 2023 Global Consumer Study reveals about consumer channel preferences.  Find a transcript for this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ai-is-it-hype-or-helpful/  Read the 2023 Global Consumer Study: https://www.xminstitute.com/research/consumer-channel-preferences-2024/  Listen to more podcasts at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

What's the first thing you think of when asked, "how well do you listen?" Many CX professionals might think of their listening systems: surveys, close-loop feedback, listening architectures. Some may say they interact with clients on a regular basis. But what about actively listening? Talking less and letting others express themselves, and then reassuring them that the conversation was worth it. Host Sara Walker welcomes Marisa Schwartz, senior regional medical director for St. Luke's University Health Network, to discuss the importance of active listening.  Find a transcript of this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/talk-less-listen-more/ Learn more about St. Luke's University Health Network at https://www.slhn.org/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

It's human nature to compare what we do professionally – and even personally – with others and CX leaders are no different. So Walker, along with the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), launched The CX Leader Pulse as a way to give customer experience professionals a look into what companies are, and are not, doing within their CX programs. The results of the first study are in and host Pat Gibbons welcomes Walker's own Troy Powell, Vice President of Strategy & Analytics, and Greg Melia, CEO of the CXPA, to discuss what was discovered. Find a transcript of this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/the-results-are-in/ To participate in The CX Leader Pulse, visit https://walkerinfo.com/pulse List to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about the Customer Experience Professionals Association at https://cxpaglobal.org/  Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/ 

CX leaders have become increasingly effective at taking action on customer feedback. Today many organizations have effective closed-loop programs that efficiently route insights to the right person for timely action. However, there's a blind spot – the vast majority of customers never provide their feedback. Actually that's more than a blind spot. It's a black hole! This episode's guest has built an impressive early warning system that addresses this problem. Host Pat Gibbons welcomes Maddie Clark, Customer Experience Insights Senior Manager at ServiceNow, for a discussion on how she built an early warning system that addresses the problem of identifying dissatisfied customers that don't provide feedback. Find a transcript for this episode on the show notes page: https://cxleaderpodcast.com/the-black-hole-of-cx/ Learn more about ServiceNow at https://servicenow.com/ Listen to more episodes at https://cxleaderpodcast.com/ Learn more about Walker at https://walkerinfo.com/