Experience Action

Start the year with clarity instead of clutter. We’re sharing five decisive questions that help you cut noise, design automation that still feels human, and align your customer experience strategy with outcomes your executives and your customers actually care about. If AI, tight budgets, and shaky trust are pulling you in every direction, this conversation gives you a practical way to choose what matters and let the rest go. We dig into where value is truly created across your journey and where activity masquerades as progress. You’ll learn how to build a balance between fast, scalable automation and the empathy customers crave when stakes are high. We talk through using a CX mission and a success blueprint to connect initiatives to revenue, retention, cost to serve, and risk reduction—without resorting to vanity metrics. Along the way, we share how to craft human-centered stories that move leaders, and how to build guardrails so AI augments your team instead of eroding trust. Customer expectations have shifted, so your insights need to as well. We outline practical methods for refreshing journey maps with real behavior, analytics, and interviews, and we show how co-creating with customers accelerates clarity. Finally, we turn the mission from a poster into an operating system: a tool for prioritizing roadmaps, guiding trade-offs, and running quick post-launch reviews that keep experience quality high. Call this the year of intention—simplify, align, and keep showing up with respect and consistency. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a teammate who’s buried in dashboards, and leave a quick review to tell us which question you’ll tackle first. Your feedback helps more leaders find the tools to build trust and deliver results. Resources Mentioned: CX Mission Statement Workbook -- https://bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook CX Success Statement Workbook -- https://bit.ly/cx-success-workbook Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.com Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Clicking “buy now” shouldn’t feel like shouting into the void. In this episode, we explore how digital retail can feel more human by pairing smart personalization with trust-building micromoments. Instead of proving what we know, we focus on what customers need next: clear fit guidance, delivery transparency, and friction-removing policies that build confidence before checkout. We share practical moves you can use this week—from confirmations that speak to the shopper (not the order number) to shipping updates in plain language, short stylist videos, and behind-the-scenes warehouse moments. We also cover how to use chat well: being upfront about bots, designing warm handoffs to humans, and giving AI a role that feels helpful, not blocking. Reassurance is the real conversion multiplier. We talk about sizing honesty, responsible return signals, clear expectations on duties and timelines, and how to keep the warmth going after checkout. The simple test we return to again and again: would this message feel kind and useful if you sent it to a friend? If these ideas help, subscribe for more customer experience strategies, share this episode with your team, and leave a quick review so others can find us. Your feedback shapes what we explore next. Resources Mentioned: Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.com Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

What if customer experience stopped living in customer service and started living in the core of your business? We tackle a listener’s challenge and turn it into a practical playbook: define a shared mindset, build a success blueprint tied to revenue and cost, and practice the daily discipline that makes change stick. Along the way, we share the one-line definition leaders can use to rally teams: customer experience is the system we build to deliver on the promises we make. We start by stripping away the fuzziness around CX. Instead of ten different definitions across the company, we push you to craft a clear CX mission statement that guides choices in sales, product, marketing, operations, and HR. From there, we elevate CX from reactive troubleshooting to proactive design—fixing upstream processes that create downstream tickets, refunds, and churn. The message to skeptics is grounded and simple: fewer service issues, lower cost-to-serve, stronger retention, and more referrals. Then we map CX to executive priorities with a customer experience success blueprint. We talk through how to align with the CFO’s bottom line, show the CMO how advocacy can lower paid media spend, and help product and operations choose fixes that move the needle. You’ll hear how to translate friction into financial levers, set a tight measurement set that includes outcome, perception, and behavior metrics, and build governance that runs like any other business function. Finally, we offer storytelling tips to earn buy-in, celebrate small wins, and keep momentum through the long, non–light switch journey of change. If this resonates, share it with a colleague who still thinks CX is a department. Subscribe for more practical plays, leave a quick review to help others find the show, and send us your questions—your challenges fuel the next conversation. Resources Mentioned: Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- experienceiseverythingbook.com Experience Investigators Website -- experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

The most dangerous number in customer experience isn’t low—it’s shiny. In this CX Pulse Check, we unpack why a single score can seduce teams into storytelling that investors love and customers don’t feel, and we make a case for the harder, more honest work of proving value creation by cohort, not by kudos. With Rob Markey of Bain & Company and Harvard Business School, we discuss whether customer metrics predict growth or distract from it, and we separate real loyalty from repeat purchase. We go straight at the NPS debate: what the score can predict, where it fails, and how it becomes powerful only as part of a system that links feedback to actions that change renewal, cross-sell, referrals, and cost-to-serve. We talk airlines, captive markets, and the language games behind “loyalty” programs that purchase repetition without building emotional commitment. Then we get practical. You’ll hear a little about how to read interaction telemetry for risk signals, and build models that translate service performance—wait times, abandon rates, repeat contacts—into forward revenue forecasts your CFO will respect. This is a great listen for leaders who want both heart and proof: real-time feedback to understand emotion and expectation shifts, behavioral data to see what customers actually do, and investor-ready visuals like tenure curves and revenue per customer by acquisition year. If you’ve ever wondered how to tell a CX story that earns budget because it earns returns, tune in to this conversation. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Then send in a question you want us to tackle next at askJeannie.vip. About Rob Markey Advisory Partner, Bain & Company Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School Rob Markey (https://robmarkey.com) is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School and an advisory partner at Bain & Company. The creator of the Net Promoter System, he has spent more than three decades helping companies grow by earning customer loyalty and increasing the value of their customer relationships. He teaches Managing Service Operations in the MBA program at HBS and hosts the Customer Confidential podcast, where he speaks with leaders building customer-centric businesses. He is the co-author of The Ultimate Question 2.0 and a leading voice in the movement toward Customer Capitalism. Follow Rob on... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmarkey/ Articles Mentioned: - The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI): Quarter 3, 2025 - A Threat Potentially More Damaging Than the Great Recession (American Customer Satisfaction Index) -- https://theacsi.org/news-and-resources/press-releases/2025/11/13/press-release-national-acsi-q3-2025/ - CoStar (CSGP) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript (The Motley Fool) -- https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2025/10/28/costar-csgp-q3-2025-earnings-call-transcript/ Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

What if the next 90–180 days could lock in measurable customer loyalty? In this episode, we break down a practical, no-fluff playbook for building a retention strategy that customers actually value—whether you’re serving consumers or complex B2B accounts. We focus on intentional success and segmentation, identifying high-value customers and the signals that predict renewal, frequency, and advocacy. Then we narrow in on the KPIs that matter most and design loyalty mechanics that make sense: points, tiers, access, bonuses, and earned surprise moments. You’ll learn why swag rarely drives loyalty, how to reduce early friction with smart onboarding, and where re-engagement triggers fit when momentum slows. We compare B2C and B2B loyalty without clichés. For B2C, convenience, delight, and timely nudges win. For B2B, loyalty must support the whole account through shared benefits like premium support, admin training, success reviews, and milestone-based usage credits. Throughout, we lean on behavioral analytics, automation that enhances relevance, and a communication cadence that drives action without fatigue. To keep programs fresh, we champion co-creation and experiential innovation—inviting customers into pilots, iterating on perks, and retiring low-impact rewards fast. Ask the Disruption Day question: what will customers need tomorrow, and how can you start building it today? This mindset turns loyalty from a cost center into a growth engine. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a quick review. Resources Mentioned: Learn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.com Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.com Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

When surveys fall flat, the real story still lives in customer conversations, behaviors, and signals. In this episode, we explore how to move from survey programs to real feedback strategies—ones that capture those signals, connect them to outcomes, and drive action leaders can feel. You’ll hear how to combine quick, purposeful interviews, observational studies, and analytics for a full picture of what customers think, feel, and do. We also unpack where AI fits in—how NLP, speech analytics, and social listening reveal patterns at scale, while humans still guide the questions and actions. From frontline insights to early warnings of silent churn, we cover practical ways to detect issues, act fast, and close the loop. You’ll leave with five essentials for building a connected feedback ecosystem and turning listening into lasting improvement. Resources Mentioned: Learn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.com Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Want customers to talk about your brand without being asked? In this CX Pulse Check, we bring on Brooke Sellas, founder of B Squared Media and a leader in social customer care, to unpack how emotion—not content volume—creates durable connection, retention, and revenue. Together we push past vanity metrics and dig into signals that actually matter: the unsolicited thank-yous, the screenshots, the stitches, and the small moments of care customers can’t help but share. Our conversation moves from principle to practice. We map out how to define success for customers and for the business, then build joy loops that reward participation and make advocacy feel like a feature. We talk candidly about creator care—how high-velocity social teams face relentless expectations and why, in the age of AI, creative risk is the differentiator. We also look inside modern support: when bots deflect FAQs, humans inherit the complex, emotional problems. We also break down Salesforce’s decision to replace a lightly used help search with AI and the community backlash that followed. The lesson is clear: internal metrics don’t equal external sentiment. Listening publicly, restoring a dedicated search capability, and co-creating with power users can turn friction into fuel. If you care about customer experience, social strategy, or contact center leadership, you’ll leave with insights for measuring emotion, protecting the people who power your brand, and taking smart risks that cut through AI’s sea of sameness. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review. About Brooke Sellas: Brooke Sellas is shaping the future of digital marketing one conversation at a time. As an award-winning CEO, she leads B Squared Media, a boutique agency redefining 'social care' for brands like Brother International, Miele, and BCU. You can dive into her insights through her book Conversations That Connect, her thought leadership on CMSWire, or her expert-led courses—among them, three digital marketing courses at the University of California, Irvine (one focused on AI & Marketing) and a LinkedIn Learning course on Social Care. Learn More About B Squared Media at https://bsquared.media/ Follow Brooke on... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HelloBSquared/podcasts Articles Mentioned: - To Set Your Brand Apart, Create Moments of Shareable Joy (Harvard Business Review) -- https://hbr.org/2025/09/to-set-your-brand-apart-create-moments-of-shareable-joy - Duolingo’s Departing Social Media Manager Talks Virality, Anxiety and Mental Health (The Wall Street Journal) -- https://www.wsj.com/articles/duolingos-departing-social-media-manager-talks-virality-anxiety-and-mental-health-63d36f40 - Salesforce Responds to User Backlash Over Replacing Help Search with Agentforce (CX Today) -- https://www.cxtoday.com/crm/salesforce-responds-to-user-backlash-over-replacing-help-search-with-agentforce/ Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Personalization in B2B shouldn’t feel invasive—it should feel helpful, timely, and trustworthy. In this episode, we share a practical framework for getting personal the right way: focus on professional goals, public signals, and clear boundaries. Skip the birthday messages and small talk; instead, pay attention to milestones that matter—team expansions, product launches, and regulatory shifts that shape your clients’ priorities. We dive into tactics for adding warmth to cold communications, from simple follow-ups to plain-language summaries that turn compliance into clarity. You’ll learn how to time outreach, tailor messages by maturity level, and link value to outcomes leaders care about—adoption, risk reduction, and ROI. Finally, we explore the guardrails that protect trust: respect boundaries, avoid private data, and apply the “leadership test” for tone. Rethink your B2B playbook and build personalization that scales—with relevance, respect, and humanity. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar, From Assessment to Action: Building Your CX Roadmap, on November 4th via bit.ly/CXAction Resources Mentioned: Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

In this episode, we explore one of the toughest CX challenges: balancing company policies with the flexibility needed to deliver exceptional experiences. Policies should guide and protect, not block great service. We share how to design rules that empower teams, use exceptions as insights for improvement, and align every decision with your customer experience mission. Plus, we discuss how rethinking outdated policies — like libraries eliminating overdue fines — can strengthen trust and deepen customer relationships. Tune in to learn how to turn rigid rules into opportunities for better customer experiences — and don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar, From Assessment to Action: Building Your CX Roadmap, on November 4th via bit.ly/CXAction. Resources Mentioned: Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Why do leaders hesitate to green-light customer interviews even when everyone agrees they matter? In this episode, we share a fast path to buy-in: lead with business outcomes, start with a small pilot, and turn qualitative insights into measurable ROI. Instead of pitching interviews as an activity, we frame them as a strategic move to reduce churn, fix onboarding friction, and prioritize work that grows loyalty and revenue. Most importantly, we show how to speak leadership’s language — tying interviews to metrics like time-to-value, adoption, cancellations, and expansion revenue — and how to keep executives engaged with quick updates and short video clips that make customer emotion impossible to ignore. Clear ask, clear scope, clear outcomes. Then scale once the foundation is in place. Liked what you heard? Subscribe, share with a teammate who needs a pilot plan, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Got a question for a future episode? Leave a voicemail at askjeannie.vip. Resources Mentioned: Get our Customer Interview Guidebook -- bit.ly/ciguidebook Experience Investigators Website -- experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Customers don’t just want answers. They want action! That’s why agentic AI, the kind that doesn’t just recommend but actually does the work, is reshaping how teams analyze experiences, resolve issues, and connect systems. In this CX Pulse Check, Jeannie talks with Medallia’s Chief Strategy Officer, Sid Banerjee, about today’s clearest CX use cases and the pitfalls leaders should avoid as agentic AI adoption accelerates across industries like banking, healthcare, retail, and hospitality. We explore three big patterns: Voice is making a comeback too, from car dealerships booking recall appointments to restaurants taking phone orders with flawless recall. The key isn’t “more bots,” but better design, continuous coaching, and a balance of speed with trust. We also cover empathy, accountability, and practical guardrails (like building feedback loops, retraining models, and giving customers clear choices so they never feel trapped by tech). If you’re evaluating where to deploy AI next or whether your pilots are effective, this conversation provides examples, cautions, and a pragmatic perspective. About Sid Banerjee, Chief Strategy Officer, Medallia: Over a nearly 30-year career, Sid has amassed deep skills building companies and solutions based on customer experience, business intelligence, and AI-powered technologies. Sid was the Founder and served as CEO, Chairman, and Chief Strategy Officer at Clarabridge. He most recently served as Chief XM Strategy Officer at Qualtrics. He presently serves as Chairman at Prolific, a high-growth technology company that provides a platform for high-quality, human-derived AI and research models. He was a founding employee of MicroStrategy and founder/CEO of Claraview. He also held executive and management positions at Ernst & Young and Sprint. He holds a BS/MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT. Learn More About Medallia at https://www.medallia.com/ Follow Sid on... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidbanerjeewdc/ Articles Mentioned: - Marriott checks out AI agents amid technology transformation (CIO Dive) -- https://www.ciodive.com/news/marriott-international-AI-strategy-agentic-cloud-cybersecurity/758922/ - Red Lobster Turns to AI to Power Phone Ordering (Hospitality Technology) -- https://hospitalitytech.com/news-briefs/2025-09-22?article=red-lobster-turns-ai-power-phone-ordering - Long Island pizzeria goes viral with saucy videos giving bad diners a taste of their own medicine: ‘Go sit down’ (New York Post) -- https://nypost.com/2025/09/22/us-news/long-island-pizzeria-goes-viral-with-saucy-videos-giving-bad-diners-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-go-sit-down/ Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Complacency can creep into even the strongest B2B partnerships. This episode shares practical ways to keep long-term relationships fresh, valuable, and resilient—without changing your core product. From proactive reviews and co-created thought leadership to milestone moments and small human gestures, you’ll learn how to spark momentum your clients can feel and measure. We also explore a “Disruptor Day” exercise to out-innovate yourself, reduce friction, and design micro-surprises that remind clients they’re seen and valued. Through the lenses of goals, fears, and energy, you’ll see how to turn satisfaction into advocacy. Press play to protect key accounts and strengthen partnerships—and don’t forget to subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with one change you’ll try this quarter. Resources Mentioned: Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Where do you start with customer experience strategy? As a CX leader, you’ve probably faced the overwhelming question: Where do I start? In this episode, Jeannie Walters explores this challenge and shares how to find clarity when building a customer experience strategy. Drawing from real conversations with CX leaders, Jeannie introduces the CXI Navigator Framework, which highlights four essential parts of an effective strategy: You’ll also hear how the CXI Compass can help you pinpoint where to begin, whether it’s strengthening culture, refreshing a Voice of the Customer program, or sparking innovation. If you’ve ever struggled to know the right starting point, this episode offers practical guidance to help you prioritize, define success, and create momentum in your customer experience journey. Resources Mentioned: Take the CXI Compass® assessment -- https://CXICompass.com Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Navigating today’s uncertain business landscape means balancing what’s behind us with what’s ahead. In this episode, we explore how CX leaders can use leading indicators to predict satisfaction while relying on lagging metrics to evaluate performance. Rather than collecting more data, it’s about collecting the right data—spotting early signals in engagement patterns, service inquiries, and employee feedback before they show up in CSAT or NPS. We also look beyond internal data to market trends, competitor activity, and global behavior shifts to understand evolving customer expectations. As technology—and customer access to AI—advances, the information gap is shrinking. CX leaders must rethink how they deliver value in this new reality. By blending historical insights with forward-looking indicators, we can move from reporting what happened to shaping what happens next. What signals are you watching for in your business? Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

What does luxury really mean in today's experience economy? The answer might surprise you. Joining us on this eye-opening CX Pulse Check episode is luxury experience expert Neen James, who shares groundbreaking research revealing that luxury isn't about price tags—it's a mindset with four distinct profiles. Yet regardless of which luxury mindset we embody, we all agree on five essential characteristics: high quality, long-lasting, authentic, unique, and indulgent. "You don't have to have a luxury product to provide a luxury level of service," Neen explains, unlocking possibilities for businesses across every industry and price point. Her research definitively proves what many have suspected: luxury is increasingly about experiences rather than possessions, and about feeling genuinely seen, heard, and valued. We explore fascinating real-world applications, from wealthy travelers choosing cooking lessons with Italian grandmothers over five-star hotels to Louis Vuitton's theatrical ship-shaped flagship store in China. Perhaps most applicable for everyday business is our discussion of Starbucks' ambitious four-minute service goal. As Neen advises, we must "think like a concierge, not a bellhop," transforming transactional relationships into meaningful connections through what she calls "systemized thoughtfulness." The insights from this conversation apply whether you're running a coffee shop or a luxury retailer. Don't miss Neen's upcoming book, Exceptional Experiences, launching October 14th with pre-orders available now. About Neen James: Neen James (neenjames.com) is a leadership strategist, dynamic keynote speaker, and the author of Folding Time, Attention Pays, and the upcoming Exceptional Experiences. With boundless energy, quick wit, and actionable insights, she serves as a confidante to C-suite leaders to help them elevate experiences and achieve greater focus, communication, and influence. Recently appointed to the board of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce, James has been named one of the Top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Gurus multiple years in a row for her work with some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Viacom, Comcast, Virtuoso Travel, Four Seasons, and the FBI. She empowers individuals to prioritize what matters most so they can create exceptional experiences that drive results and foster lasting connections. Originally from Australia, James is living her best life in Tampa, Florida. Follow Neen on... LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neenjames/ Instagram: instagram.com/neenjames YouTube: youtube.com/user/AussieNeen Articles Mentioned: Luxury Travelers Prefer Spending Thousands on Authentic Nonna's Kitchen Over Lavish Hotel Suites (Investopedia) A luxury experience in China: Global high-end brands bet on conceptual stores to revive sales (Reuters) Brian Niccol wants your Starbucks drink to be made within 4 minutes of ordering (Yahoo! Finance) Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Are you planning with a small p or a capital P? This question frames a critical insight for customer experience professionals: the difference between creating lists of activities versus developing strategic initiatives that drive meaningful business outcomes. Many CX leaders fall into the trap of confusing tactics with impact. They focus on implementing surveys, dashboards, and journey maps without clearly connecting these tools to broader organizational objectives. When customer experience gets stuck at this tactical level, it risks being dismissed as mere overhead rather than a driver of revenue, cost savings, and growth. The solution? Shift your perspective from activity to impact, and ensure every CX initiative ties directly to measurable business outcomes. Customer experience must be treated as a fundamental business discipline, not a temporary program or isolated department. This means aligning CX initiatives with enterprise-level goals and demonstrating how your work influences metrics executives truly care about: growth, efficiency, risk management, and retention of both customers and employees. By connecting these dots in everything you do, you build a stronger business case for continued investment in CX. Remember that executive buy-in can make or break your success, so make your sponsors look great by delivering results that matter to the organization. Whether you're a CX leader seeking support or an executive sponsor evaluating CX initiatives, take a step back and consider the strategic value of customer experience work. Ask yourself how your efforts will impact the bottom line, and don't get caught in the activity trap. Ready to start planning with a capital P? Try our CXI Compass to help prioritize your customer experience efforts and determine your next strategic moves. Resources Mentioned: Take the CXI Compass® assessment -- CXICompass.com Experience Investigators Website -- experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

What does it really mean to make business easier for your customers? In this engaging exploration of practical customer experience strategies for small business owners, Jeannie Walters responds to Joe, a construction company owner wondering how to create smoother customer interactions. The journey begins with communication fundamentals—clear, proactive updates that eliminate the need for customers to chase down information. For specialized industries like construction, where clients may be navigating unfamiliar territory, simple "what-to-expect" guides can transform anxiety into confidence. But as Jeannie reveals through a personal anecdote about a cigarette-smelling HVAC technician who cost his company her business, setting expectations only works when your entire organization delivers consistently. Streamlining paperwork and payment processes emerges as another crucial strategy. Today's customers expect digital options and crystal-clear financial terms. The best business owners also master the art of anticipatory service—identifying when customers typically ask questions and proactively providing updates before anxiety builds. This approach transforms the traditional customer relationship into a true partnership. Perhaps most powerfully, Jeannie shares the story of a construction company that created meaningful rituals around project milestones, including having stakeholders sign the first beam before construction continued. These thoughtful gestures acknowledge the leap of faith customers take when choosing your business. The episode culminates with practical guidance on implementing these principles through Experience Investigators' CXI Navigator Framework, which approaches customer experience as a mindset, strategy, and discipline. For small business owners looking to differentiate themselves and build sustainable growth, these accessible strategies can transform customer interactions from merely satisfactory to genuinely remarkable. Resources Mentioned: Take the CXI Compass® assessment -- CXICompass.com Experience Investigators Website -- experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Why do customer experience professionals still struggle to get buy-in from leadership—even in small organizations where alignment should be easier? This question from a listener in the UK captures a universal frustration faced by CX champions worldwide. The challenge isn't about company size or industry. Whether in healthcare, education, or corporate settings, the fundamental issue is the same: creating a cultural shift in how organizations perceive customer experience. Many leaders still view CX as reactive customer service rather than proactive strategy. Others, particularly in non-customer-facing roles, fail to see how their work impacts the end customer. The disconnect between CX metrics and departmental KPIs further complicates the picture. Breaking through these barriers requires persistent communication, strategic translation, and genuine patience. Success comes from focusing on one department at a time, finding champions who already believe in CX, and making them heroes. When you connect customer experience directly to each leader's specific goals and priorities, you bridge the gap between abstract concepts and concrete business outcomes. Real customer stories—not just data—create the emotional connection that inspires action and commitment. Cultural transformation is never a light-switch moment; it's a journey that unfolds over years, not weeks. For CX leaders feeling unheard or undervalued, remember to celebrate each small victory and document your progress. Your persistent efforts are creating meaningful change that benefits your organization, your customers, and your employees. The mountain moves one stone at a time—keep going, and eventually, your customer experience parade will grow until the entire organization is marching alongside you. Resources Mentioned: CX Success Statement Workbook -- https://bit.ly/cx-success-workbook Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

The delicate balance between business efficiency and customer needs sits at the heart of successful process improvement. When organizations focus solely on internal metrics like cost savings and scalability without considering the customer perspective, they risk creating short-term wins that ultimately damage loyalty and undermine long-term success. This deep dive into customer-centric process improvement reveals how to maintain customer visibility even when making internal operational changes. We explore the foundation of this approach—establishing a clear mindset about why customers matter in your business processes, rather than simply telling teams to "put the customer first" without proper guidance. By developing a customer experience mission statement and success blueprint, organizations create guardrails that help balance internal needs with customer expectations. Making customers tangibly present in process discussions transforms decision-making. Whether through starting meetings with relevant customer stories, using journey mapping to visualize the customer perspective, or connecting process metrics directly to customer outcomes—these practical techniques ensure the customer voice isn't lost. The most powerful improvements create a triple win: benefits for customers through better experiences, advantages for the organization through operational efficiency, and improvements for employees through more effective workflows. This holistic approach recognizes that when customers feel lost or neglected due to hyper-efficiency, the consequences ripple through the business in reduced trust, lower retention, and diminished revenue. Ready to become the bridge between what your business needs and what your customers expect? Subscribe now to continue exploring how to balance business priorities with customer-centricity, and discover how to deliver remarkable experiences while meeting operational goals. Resources Mentioned: CX Mission Statement Workbook -- https://bit.ly/cx-mission-workbook CX Success Statement Workbook -- https://bit.ly/cx-success-workbook Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

What's happening in CX today? In this episode, we'll explore the gap between CX ambition and execution. Camille Kremer, Senior Director of Customer Experience at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, joins Jeannie Walters for this CX Pulse Check to share how her team built a comprehensive CX program over five years—drawing on the powerful metaphor of bamboo growth: years of unseen root work before visible success emerges. With only 17% of executives confident in their CX delivery, despite nearly half calling it a top priority, we unpack what it takes to bridge that divide. Camille walks us through how her team built trust, accountability, and alignment, warning that mismatched expectations are the “rotten tomato” that can spoil even the best CX plans. We also explore how Verizon is using AI not to replace humans, but to enhance experiences—automating routine tasks while expanding human support. Throughout, one theme stands out: lasting CX transformation depends on psychological safety. Innovation only happens when teams feel safe enough to try, fail, and learn. About Camille Kremer: Camille is the Senior Director of Customer Experience at Holiday Inn Club Vacations. She and her team lead the CX strategy, and drive enterprise-wide improvements based on customer feedback. With 20 years of experience leading large-scale operational and transformational change across multiple industries, she is passionate about turning analytics into meaningful action. Her background in sociology, informatics, quality assurance, and lean continuous improvement fuels her commitment to creating positive change for both businesses and customers. When she visits her parents in Louisiana, Camille still loves tending to the bees in her father's apiary - a hobby they've done together for 30 years. Follow Camille on... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillekremer/ Articles Mentioned: - Global execs say CX is crucial to success but most still struggle to optimize its performance (VISION by Protiviti) -- https://vision.protiviti.com/insight/global-execs-say-cx-crucial-success-most-still-struggle-optimize-its-performance - Marketing Promised. CX Didn’t Deliver. Here’s the Cost. (CMSWire) -- https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/marketing-promised-cx-didnt-deliver-heres-the-cost/ - Verizon Announcing AI-Powered 'Customer Experience Transformation' (Newsweek) -- https://www.newsweek.com/verizon-announcing-ai-powered-customer-experience-transformation-2089472 Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)