Tag Archives: customer service

Why a Customer Experience Audit is Non-Negotiable in 2026

An Analysis of ROI, Retention, and Brand Resilience

Why a Customer Experience Audit is Non-Negotiable in 2026

LAST UPDATED: February 7, 2026 at 8:20PM

by Braden Kelley and Art Inteligencia

In the current business landscape, the traditional boundaries of competition have dissolved. Pricing is transparent, product features are rapidly emulated, and global logistics have leveled the playing field for distribution. What remains as the final, most defensible frontier is Customer Experience (CX). However, many organizations operate on assumptions rather than evidence, relying on outdated journey maps that don’t account for the rise of generative AI, omnichannel complexity, and the heightened emotional expectations of the modern consumer.

A Customer Experience Audit is not merely a “health check”; it is a rigorous diagnostic process designed to uncover the “silent killers” of conversion and loyalty. It bridges the gap between how a company thinks it is performing and how the customer actually feels at every touchpoint. By systematically evaluating the friction, flow, and emotional resonance of the brand journey, organizations can transform from being reactive service providers to proactive experience leaders. Below, we explore the ten most compelling reasons to initiate this audit, backed by the latest industry data.

Top 10 Reasons to Conduct a CX Audit

1. Identify and Eliminate Friction Points

An audit maps the real-world customer journey to find where users drop off. Small changes to these “micro-moments” can yield massive returns.

The Statistic: Simplifying a complex sign-up form can increase successful registrations by 20% (Reform).
The Insight: 53% of consumers say being kept on hold alone is reason enough to stop doing business with a brand (Webex/Futurum Group).

2. Improve Customer Retention and Reduce Churn

Acquiring a new customer is significantly more expensive than keeping an existing one. Audits identify the specific negative experiences that drive customers to competitors.

The Statistic: Resolving CX issues can reduce churn by 85% (Esteban Kolsky).
The Insight: 60% of customers will leave a brand after just one or two negative experiences (Zoom, 2025).

3. Maximize Revenue and Upsell Opportunities

Satisfied customers aren’t just loyal; they are less price-sensitive and more open to higher-value offers.

The Statistic: Companies that excel at CX see an average 80% increase in revenue (Zippia/Zendesk).
The Insight: 61% of customers will spend at least 5% more with a brand they know provides a good experience (Emplifi).

4. Optimize the Onboarding Experience

The first post-purchase interaction sets the tone for the entire relationship. Audits ensure your onboarding isn’t frustrating or confusing.

The Statistic: Effective onboarding makes customers 92% more likely to renew their subscriptions (TSIA/OnRamp).
The Insight: Interactive and engaging onboarding content can boost early product usage by 55% (Wyzowl).

5. Validate AI and Automation Strategy

Many companies layer AI over broken processes. An audit ensures your bots are actually helping rather than “getting stuck in loops.”

The Statistic: AI adoption can increase the number of issues resolved per hour by 15% (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2025).
The Insight: 80% of customers expect bots to escalate to a human when needed, but only 38% say this actually happens (Zoom, 2025).

6. Align Internal Silos

Audits reveal when different departments (Sales, Marketing, Support) are providing conflicting information, which destroys customer trust.

The Statistic: 90% of customers expect consistent interactions across all channels (SDL/Renascence).
The Insight: 54% of organizations cite “fragmented or siloed data” as their biggest barrier to leveraging customer insights (Zendesk).

7. Benchmark Against Competitors

In 2026, CX is the primary differentiator as products and pricing become easier to replicate.

The Statistic: 89% of businesses are expected to compete primarily on CX this year (Gartner/OnRamp).
The Insight: Customer-centric brands are 60% more profitable than those that do not focus on CX (Deloitte).

8. Personalize with Purpose

Generic “Dear [Name]” emails no longer count as personalization. Audits help you use data to anticipate needs and determine the most authentic places to personalize customer interactions and experiences.

The Statistic: Brands with mature personalization are 71% more likely to report high customer loyalty (Deloitte).
The Insight: 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers tailored experiences (Epsilon).

9. Enhance Employee Satisfaction

When customers are frustrated, frontline employees bear the brunt of that anger. Fixing the CX reduces agent burnout.

The Statistic: 62% of respondents identified a defined relationship between Ex and Cx, stating that the impact was “large” or “significant” and measurable. (Workstep).
The Insight: Companies with strong CX leadership are 2x more likely to have engaged employees (Temkin Group).

10. Turn Feedback into Action

Most companies collect feedback, but few act on it. An audit creates a structured roadmap for implementation.

The Statistic: Acting on customer feedback can lead to a 25% reduction in churn (Forrester/Renascence).
The Insight: 77% of customers view a brand more favorably if they proactively invite and act on feedback (Microsoft).

Summary Table of Audit Benefits

Benefit	Impact Metric	Source
Revenue Growth	80% increase	Zippia/Zendesk
Retention	25-30% improvement	Martin Newman
Profitability	60% higher than peers	Deloitte
Operational Efficiency	10-15% cost savings	Martin Newman

Conclusion: From Insight to Transformation

A Customer Experience Audit is the bridge between organizational intention and customer reality. In an era defined by rapid technological shifts and declining brand loyalty, the ability to see your business through the eyes of the consumer is your greatest competitive advantage. The statistics provided throughout this analysis make a clear case: companies that invest in understanding and optimizing their journey are not just surviving—they are significantly outperforming their peers in revenue, retention, and employee engagement.

However, an audit is only as valuable as the actions that follow (for more see Customer Experience Audit 101). The true power of this process lies in its ability to align internal silos, validate high-stakes investments in AI, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. As we move further into 2026, the question for leadership is no longer whether you can afford to conduct a CX audit, but whether you can afford to continue operating without the clarity one provides. By prioritizing the human-centered elements of your business, you secure not just a transaction, but a long-term piece of your customer’s future.

Download the ‘Top 10 Reasons to Conduct a CX Audit’ flipbook PDF

Image credits: ChatGPT

Content Authenticity Statement: The topic area, key elements to focus on, etc. were decisions made by Braden Kelley, with a little help from Google Gemini to clean up the article and add citations.

Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Samsung is Turning Customer Service into a Competitive Advantage

Leave a reply

Samsung is Turning Customer Service into a Competitive Advantage

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

In the 1980s, Jan Carlzon was tasked with turning around Scandinavian Airlines, which had been losing money, and making it profitable. He achieved this by getting everyone to buy into a concept he called “The Moment of Truth.” The definition of this phrase was so straightforward that all Scandinavian Airlines employees could understand it and act accordingly. He defined The Moment of Truth as any time a customer (passenger) came into contact with the company, they had the opportunity to form an impression. All employees were tasked with managing these moments and creating positive impressions. That concept is every bit as valid today as it was over 40 years ago.

This idea is the same, and probably more so, for customer support, the “department” that handles complaints and problems. However, I’d like to paraphrase Carlzon’s timeless wisdom: Any time a customer comes into contact with the company’s customer support department, it is an opportunity to create loyalty.

When you create loyalty through a positive customer experience (CX), especially with customer support, several things happen. First, customers come back. Second, they spend more. Third, they trust the company more. And fourth, they become your best advertising in the form of word of mouth.

Mark Williams, the head of customer care at Samsung Electronics America, has been tasked with turning customer support into a loyalty machine. In a recent interview, he shared several important and powerful points that apply to any business:

Customer Service/Support Shouldn’t Be Just About Fixing Problems

A customer may reach out to the company about a problem, and when they finally finish with the interaction, they have a sense of confidence in the company. Every interaction, even when it starts with a complaint or problem, is an opportunity to turn the customer into a loyal customer and brand ambassador.

Customer Service can be Proactive, Not Just Reactive

This is a powerful concept: proactive customer service. Using technology, a company can anticipate problems. Technology is now being integrated into items to help identify problems, often before customers are even aware of them. For example, Samsung’s “smart appliances” can alert customers that the refrigerator is getting warm and help schedule a repair before all the food in the refrigerator and freezer spoils. Williams says, “Get to customers quicker and solve their problems before they even know they have a problem.”

AI Should Not Replace Humans

The more I talk to CX leaders, the more I hear that companies are not reducing their customer support teams because of AI. If anything, they recognize that AI is a tool that helps people, not replaces them. Williams says, “AI is not a replacement. It is an enhancement to make the experience better and let our agents focus on the customers so they can solve problems quicker and more accurately.” Furthermore, when AI is used internally to assist employees, it delivers the right information in a timely manner and empowers them to create a better customer experience. For complicated issues, AI supports the agent while they resolve customer issues and work on rebuilding the customer’s trust in the brand.

The Three S’s of an Amazing Customer Experience

Williams shared his three core principles for delivering an experience that creates loyalty:

Speed: Reduce the time it takes to resolve a customer’s issue. The sooner, the better. Williams is proud that Samsung’s repair network for consumer electronics covers 99% of the U.S. Eight out of 10 Americans (81%) are within 30 minutes of getting their products serviced. That’s actually convenience combined with speed, a powerful combination.
Simplicity: Make it easy for customers to do business with you. Remove confusing policies and anything else that is inconvenient for the customer. Listen to your front-line employees who are actively listening to your customers to get ideas on how to create a simpler and more convenient experience.
Service: Design experiences that put your customers first. When you put yourself in your customers’ shoes, you’ll find opportunities to improve customer service and the overall customer experience. Service includes friendly employees who are knowledgeable and deliver an experience that builds confidence and trust, even when things go wrong, because customers know they can count on you.

Final Words

For those in leadership who still view customer support as a cost center, think again. The people on the front line, along with the people designing digital self-service — an AI-fueled experience — are the extension of your sales and marketing departments. Loyalty can be built by turning around a customer with a complaint. In short, customer service can be an income-generating department. Reliable products are a given, but it’s the way a company handles a customer during a contentious or disappointing moment that makes them say, “I’ll be back!”

This article was originally published on Forbes.com.

Image credits: Pexels

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

Trust Built Now Will Help You Recover from Future Complaints

Leave a reply

Trust Built Now Will Help You Recover From Future Complaints

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

When you have your customer’s confidence, the opportunity to create an excellent customer experience dramatically improves. That confidence comes from consistency. The customer knows what to expect, even if any problems or issues arise. They know you’ll take care of them.

This is a follow-up to my article that covered the Customer Service Recovery Paradox, in which a customer’s perception of the company is higher after a problem or complaint is resolved than if the problem had never happened at all. One of our subscribers, Sean Crichton-Browne of Market Culture, shared a great comment. The short version is that when you have the customer’s confidence, especially in potentially tenuous situations, customers work with you rather than against you.

Sean’s insight is spot-on and worth diving into further. Think about the last time you had a problem with a company you trusted versus one that you didn’t. By the way, that lack of trust could be because you haven’t yet experienced how they handle a problem, not because of any inconsistencies or problems in the past. With the trusted company, you most likely approached the conversation differently. You were more patient as you explained the situation, and you were more open to their suggestions and solutions.

Trust Recovery Cartoon from Shep Hyken

Contrast that with a company you don’t yet trust. You go into the conversation with your guard up, wondering if you’ll get the response and answers you hope for. You may even be prepared to fight for what you believe is right.

When customers trust you, they:

Give you the benefit of the doubt when mistakes happen.
Share more information about what went wrong, making it easier to fix.
Accept reasonable solutions rather than demanding unrealistic ones.
Remain calm and respectful, making it much easier to help them without having to first de-escalate the customer’s anger.

As mentioned, and worth mentioning again, confidence comes from consistency. Even if the customer has only done business with you once or twice, it can be earned through all of the positive touchpoints of those interactions. Every interaction, big or small, builds confidence. Every time you answer the phone, return a call promptly, respond to email quickly, keep your promises, and more, you’re building trust. When something does go wrong, not if something goes wrong, you will have those past interactions working for you.

Yes, we need to react to complaints and problems when they happen, but remember that your ability to resolve those issues successfully may have been determined long before the problem ever occurred. It’s determined by how you treat customers and manage every interaction, the small ones and the big ones. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to build the confidence that will make future problems easier to resolve. When you have their trust, customers work with you rather than against you.

Image credits: Flickr Mary Jane, Shep Hyken

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

Humans Don’t Have to Perform Every Task

Leave a reply

Humans Don't Have to Perform Every Task

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

There seems to be a lot of controversy and questions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) being used to support customers. The customer experience can be enhanced with AI, but it can also derail and cause customers to head to the competition.

Last week, I wrote an article titled Just Because You Can Use AI, Doesn’t Mean You Should. The gist of the article was that while AI has impressive capabilities, there are situations in which human-to-human interaction is still preferred, even necessary, especially for complex, sensitive or emotionally charged customer issues.

However, there is a flip side. Sometimes AI is the smart thing to use, and eliminating human-to-human interaction actually creates a better customer experience. The point is that just because a human could handle a task doesn’t mean they should. 

Before we go further, keep in mind that even if AI should handle an issue, my customer service and customer experience (CX) research finds almost seven out of 10 customers (68%) prefer the phone. So, there are some customers who, regardless of how good AI is, will only talk to a live human being.

Here’s a reality: When a customer simply wants to check their account balance, reset a password, track a package or any other routine, simple task or request, they don’t need to talk to someone. What they really want, even if they don’t realize it, is fast, accurate information and a convenient experience.

The key is recognizing when customers value efficiency over engagement. Even with 68% of customers preferring the phone, they also want convenience and speed. And sometimes, the most convenient experience is one that eliminates unnecessary human interaction.

Smart companies are learning to use both strategically. They are finding a balance. They’re using AI for routine, transactional interactions while making live agents available for situations requiring judgement, creativity or empathy.

The goal isn’t to replace humans with AI. It’s to use each where they excel most. That sometimes means letting technology do what it can do best, even if a human could technically do the job. The customer experience improves when you match the right resource to the customers’ specific need.

That’s why I advocate pushing the digital, AI-infused experience for the right reasons but always – and I emphasize the word always – giving the customer an easy way to connect to a human and continue the conversation.

In the end, most customers don’t care whether their problem is solved by a human or AI. They just want it solved well.

Image credits: Google Gemini, Shep Hyken

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

Just Because You Can Use AI Doesn’t Mean You Should

1 Reply

Just Because You Can Use AI Doesn't Mean You Should

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

I’m often asked, “What should AI be used for?” While there is much that AI can do to support businesses in general, it’s obvious that I’m being asked how it relates to customer service and customer experience (CX). The true meaning of the question is more about what tasks AI can do to support a customer, thereby potentially eliminating the need for a live agent who deals directly with customers.

First, as the title of this article implies, just because AI can do something, it doesn’t mean it should. Yes, AI can handle many customer support issues, but even if every customer were willing to accept that AI can deliver good support, there are some sensitive and complicated issues for which customers would prefer to talk to a human.

AI Shep Hyken Cartoon

Additionally, consider that, based on my annual customer experience research, 68% of customers (that’s almost seven out of 10) prefer the phone as their primary means of communication with a company or brand. However, another finding in the report is worth mentioning: 34% of customers stopped doing business with a company because self-service options were not provided. Some customers insist on the self-service option, but at the same time, they want to be transferred to a live agent when appropriate.

AI works well for simple issues, such as password resets, tracking orders, appointment scheduling and answering basic or frequently asked questions. Humans are better suited for handling complaints and issues that need empathy, complex problem-solving situations that require judgment calls and communicating bad news.

An AI-fueled chatbot can answer many questions, but when a medical patient contacts the doctor’s office about test results related to a serious issue, they will likely want to speak with a nurse or doctor, not a chatbot.

Consider These Questions Before Implementing AI For Customer Interactions

AI for addressing simple customer issues has become affordable for even the smallest businesses, and an increasing number of customers are willing to use AI-powered customer support for the right reasons. Consider these questions before implementing AI for customer interactions:

Is the customer’s question routine or fact-based?
Does it require empathy, emotion, understanding and/or judgment (emotional intelligence)?
Could the wrong answer cause a problem or frustrate the customer?
As you think about the reasons customers call, which ones would they feel comfortable having AI handle?
Do you have an easy, seamless way for the customer to be transferred to a human when needed?

The point is, regardless of how capable the technology is, it doesn’t mean it is best suited to deliver what the customer wants. Live agents can “read the customer” and know how to effectively communicate and empathize with them. AI can’t do that … yet. The key isn’t choosing between AI and humans. It’s knowing when to use each one.

Image credits: Google Gemini, Shep Hyken

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

How Empowered Are Your Employees?

Leave a reply

How Empowered Are Your Employees?

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

Earlier this year, I wrote a Forbes article celebrating the 50th anniversary of the famous Nordstrom story in which a man wanted to return a set of used tires – even though Nordstrom never even sold tires. That fact didn’t stop the employee from giving the customer a refund. Right or wrong, that story is still talked about 50 years later!

I’ve mentioned this story in the past, and the point is that stories like these become legends inside an organization, and if the brand is lucky, they may even get some good press. They are not easy to find, unless you intentionally look for them. Nordstrom had been in business for 75 years before this legendary story was discovered and shared.

I’ve written about many such stories. They are a reminder for every company to find its unique story that exemplifies the importance of customer service. These stories are powerful because they become a “north star” for how a company should treat its customers. Publicity is optional. The real value is cultural.

Nordstrom Tires Story Cartoon from Shep Hyken

For example, there are numerous Ritz-Carlton legendary stories, such as Joshie the Giraffe, in which the hotel staff made a big effort to return a stuffed animal to a child. There are also stories that aren’t so famous. I interviewed Horst Schulze, the first president and co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton, who shared a story about empowering employees to take care of their guests.

The short version is that the Ritz-Carlton allows employees to spend up to $2,000 to resolve a guest issue without seeking manager approval. One day a housekeeper found a guest’s computer. The guest had already checked out and flown from California to Hawaii. She took it upon herself to book an airline ticket and personally delivered the laptop to the guest.

As crazy as this may sound, the housekeeper was not reprimanded but instead was applauded for her efforts. Then, she was coached that next time, overnight shipping would be sufficient. The point is, there’s no risk in taking care of a guest. The story became a teaching moment for both the housekeeper and all Ritz staff, reinforcing the hotel chain’s commitment to empowered, guest-focused service.

Not every company will have a $2,000 empowerment policy like the Ritz-Carlton or a story like Nordstrom that literally defines their customer experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy similar benefits.

So, here’s your assignment. Find your company’s legendary customer service story. If you don’t yet have one, start looking for those stories. Use them in training, meetings, and internal communications. Over time, they will become the DNA of your customer service culture. And who knows? Fifty years from now, someone might still be telling your story.

Image credits: Pexels, Shep Hyken

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

Customer Experience Failures Are a Gift

Leave a reply

Customer Experience Failures Are a Gift Pixabay

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

When things go wrong for your customer, that’s when you have the best opportunity to prove how good you really are. Anyone can look good when everything is running smoothly, but your true customer service “chops” show up during a service failure.

I recently went to a doctor’s office for an appointment. I arrived early to check in. The nurse at the desk was – no exaggeration – horrified that she had to tell me there was a glitch in the scheduling software, and my appointment had to be rescheduled. While some people might have taken a, “That’s too bad … it happens attitude,” she couldn’t have been more apologetic, showing tremendous empathy, and immediately went to work to find another time for me to return to see the doc.

I was at a restaurant and ordered a sandwich without mayonnaise. (I hate mayonnaise!) Of course, the sandwich came out slathered with mayo. The server spotted the mistake while setting the plate down in front of me. Before it even hit the table, she put it back on her tray. She served the rest of the food to everyone else at the table, and like the nurse who had to reschedule my appointment, she apologized and showed empathy. She immediately went to the kitchen to fix the problem. Several minutes later, I had a perfect sandwich.

Shep Hyken CX Failure cartoon

After both of these experiences, I received email messages asking me to complete a short survey. I gave each of these people and businesses a perfect, five-star rating. It wasn’t that they were flawless. In both cases, mistakes were made. But they each made a flawless recovery. In both situations, they didn’t offer a refund or anything for free. They just fixed the problem – but they did it with style. And when someone cares as much as these ladies did, how could I stay mad at them?

One important point: For this approach to work, problems have to be rare, not frequent, occurrences. No matter how nice employees are or how well they handle issues and complaints, if problems happen regularly, customers won’t trust the company. Excellence in recovery can only overcome occasional failures, not “systematic” ones.

I don’t need to rehash my Five Steps to Handling a Moment of Misery (Complaint), but it’s important to point out that both people handled the problems well. Rescheduling an appointment seems like a bigger issue than remaking a sandwich, but that’s not the point. The point is they both fixed the problem, and the attitude they took while doing so became even more important than the fix.

Both of these stories illustrate how, when you really care, you can win back your customer. A mistake isn’t the end of your relationship with a customer. Handled the right way, it’s an opportunity to build trust and loyalty by showing how good you really are when things don’t go according to plan.

Image credits: Pixabay, Shep Hyken

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

Top 10 Human-Centered Change & Innovation Articles of November 2025

Leave a reply

Top 10 Human-Centered Change & Innovation Articles of November 2025 Drum roll please…

At the beginning of each month, we will profile the ten articles from the previous month that generated the most traffic to Human-Centered Change & Innovation. Did your favorite make the cut?

But enough delay, here are November’s ten most popular innovation posts:

Eight Types of Innovation Executives — by Stefan Lindegaard
Is There a Real Difference Between Leaders and Managers? — by David Burkus
1,000+ Free Innovation, Change and Design Quotes Slides — by Braden Kelley
The AI Agent Paradox — by Art Inteligencia
74% of Companies Will Die in 10 Years Without Business Transformation — by Robyn Bolton
The Unpredictability of Innovation is Predictable — by Mike Shipulski
How to Make Your Employees Thirsty — by Braden Kelley
Are We Suffering from AI Confirmation Bias? — by Geoffrey A. Moore
How to Survive the Next Decade — by Robyn Bolton
It’s the Customer Baby — by Braden Kelley

BONUS – Here are five more strong articles published in October that continue to resonate with people:

The Great American Contraction – Population, Scarcity, and the New Era of Human Value — by Art Inteligencia
Four Pillars of Innovation — by Mike Shipulski
The Voicebots are Coming — by Braden Kelley
The Future of Humanity in an Artificially Intelligent World — by Greg Satell
Measuring Human vs. AI Satisfaction — by Braden Kelley

If you’re not familiar with Human-Centered Change & Innovation, we publish 4-7 new articles every week built around innovation and transformation insights from our roster of contributing authors and ad hoc submissions from community members. Get the articles right in your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin feeds too!

Have something to contribute?

Human-Centered Change & Innovation is open to contributions from any and all innovation and transformation professionals out there (practitioners, professors, researchers, consultants, authors, etc.) who have valuable human-centered change and innovation insights to share with everyone for the greater good. If you’d like to contribute, please contact me.

P.S. Here are our Top 40 Innovation Bloggers lists from the last four years:

Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Creating Memorable Experiences to Drive Loyalty

Leave a reply

Memory-Driven CX

Creating Memorable Experiences to Drive Loyalty

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

Why do customers come back to the places where they love to do business? Our annual customer experience research ranked the top experiences that get customers to come back:

Helpful employees
Knowledgeable employees
Friendly employees
A convenient experience
Hassle-free shipping and delivery
Easy returns
Personalized experiences
Empathy

The decision to come back could include any one of these or a combination of items on this list — or anything else that the customer experiences the first or last time they did business with the company or brand. The point is that it’s not the experience itself that drives loyalty — it’s the memory of the experience that truly determines loyalty.

This subtle but powerful distinction explains why some businesses enjoy fierce loyalty. The customer’s memory creates an emotional connection that transforms a simple transaction into one of many interactions—in other words, a repeat and/or loyal customer. A recent MarTech article about creating these emotional connections through CX memories and how B2B and B2C brands are winning over customers with “memory-driven CX” included some compelling ideas that validate this concept. The article emphasized the power of a sentence that starts with the words, “Remember when. …” It turns out that the memory of a good experience can boost dopamine in the brain, and the result is that customers are more likely to trust and stay with the brand.

And that is the basis of an emotional connection. Dopamine is a chemical the brain releases that makes you feel good. This chemical release potentially happens twice: during the actual interaction with the brand and when the customer recalls the interaction at a later time and date.

This doesn’t happen by accident. Just as a brand can be purposeful about giving the customer an experience worthy of remembering, it can also be purposeful about getting the customer to recall the experience.

Certain companies have done this at scale. Chewy, the online pet supply retailer, sends birthday cards to its customers’ pets. The cards are often personalized with the pet’s name. Starbucks sends its “members” a free drink or food item for their birthday. It also celebrates “coffee anniversaries,” reminding customers of when they first joined its rewards program. Netflix sends a “What We Watched” summary of what its subscribers have watched in the past year.

You don’t have to be a recognizable brand to do this. Any size company—in any industry—can do the same with a little thought and this five-step process:

Create the Experience: First, you must deliver an experience that is positive and worth remembering.
Identify Key Touchpoints: Map the customer journey (if you haven’t already done so) and identify the key touchpoints that could have the highest emotional impact.
Enhance the Key Touchpoints: Once you’ve identified the impactful touchpoints, engineer them to become memorable. For example, Trader Joe’s, the grocery store chain, trains its employees to interact with customers when they check out, enthusiastically commenting about what’s in the customer’s cart. This last impression leaves a lasting impression.
Design a Follow-Up Campaign: Design a campaign similar to Chewy, Starbucks or Netflix that reminds the customer why they enjoy doing business with you.
Measure the Impact: Don’t assume the prior four steps are working. Ask or survey your customers to ensure you’ve created the “Remember When” experience that will help drive repeat business.

When customers are excited about their experience, they say, “I’ll be back.” Taking that to the next level is doing something that gets the customer to think back on the experience, creating a “Remember When” dopamine reaction moment. That reinforces the original (or last) experience the customer had with you. By deliberately creating experiences worth remembering and then helping customers remember those memories, you are increasing the chances of the customer coming back. And the more they come back, the more likely they are to become a coveted loyal customer.

Image credit: Pexels

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

Sign up here to join 17,000+ leaders getting Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to their inbox every week.

The Voicebots are Coming

4 Replies

Your Next Customer Support Agent May Not Be a Human

LAST UPDATED: October 27, 2025 at 1:00PM
The Voicebots are Coming

by Braden Kelley

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Customer Contact Week (CCW) in Nashville, Tennessee and learn that the familiar, frustrating tyranny of the touch-tone IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system is finally ending. For too long, the gateway to customer service has felt like a maze designed to prevent contact, not facilitate it. But thanks to the rapid evolution of Conversational AI — fueled by Generative Large Language Models (LLMs) — the entire voice interaction landscape is undergoing a revolutionary, and necessary, change. As a thought leader focused on human-centered change, innovation and experience design, I can tell you the future of the call center isn’t purely automated; it’s intelligently orchestrated.

The voicebot — the modern AI-powered voice agent — is moving past its days as a simple chatbot with a synthesized voice. Today’s AI agents use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand intent, context, and even tone, allowing them to handle complex, multi-step issues with startling accuracy. More importantly, they are ushering in the era of the bionic contact center, where the human agent is augmented, not replaced. This hybrid model — where AI handles the heavy lifting and humans provide empathy, complex reasoning, and necessary approvals — is the key to achieving both massive scale and superior Customer Experience (CX).

Overcoming the Voice Friction: The Tech Foundation

The shift to true voice AI required overcoming significant friction points that plagued older systems:

Barge-In and Latency: Modern voicebots offer near-instantaneous response times and can handle barge-in (when a customer interrupts the bot) naturally, mimicking human conversation flow.
Acoustic Noise: Advanced speech recognition models are highly resilient to background noise and varied accents, ensuring high accuracy even in noisy home or car environments.
Intent Nuance: LLMs provide the deep contextual understanding needed to identify customer intent, even when the customer uses vague or emotional language, turning frustrated calls into productive ones.

The Dual Pillars of Voice AI in CX

Conversational AI is transforming voice service through two primary deployment models, both of which reduce Customer Effort Score (CES) and boost Customer Satisfaction (CSAT):

1. Full Call Automation (The AI Front Line)

This model is deployed for high-volume, routine, yet critical interactions. The voicebot connects directly to the company’s backend systems (CRM, ERP, knowledge base) to pull personalized information and take action in real-time. Crucially, these new AI agents move beyond rigid scripts, using Generative AI to create dynamic, human-like dialogue that resolves the issue instantly. This 24/7 self-service capability slashes queue times and dramatically lowers the cost-to-serve.

2. Human-AI Collaboration (The Bionic Agent)

This is where the real human-centered innovation lies. The AI agent handles the bulk of the call — identifying the customer, verifying identity, diagnosing the problem, and gathering data. When the request hits a complexity threshold — such as requiring a policy override, handling an escalated complaint, or needing a final human authorization — the AI performs a contextual handoff. The human agent receives the call along with a complete, structured summary of the conversation, the customer’s intent, and often a recommended next step, turning a frustrating transfer into a seamless, empowered human interaction.

OR, even better can be the solution where a single human agent provides approvals or other guidance to multiple AI voice agents that continue owning their calls while waiting for the human to respond (possibly simultaneously helping the customer with additional queries) before continuing with the conversation through to resolution.

Customer Contact Week Nashville

“The most powerful application of voice AI isn’t automation, it’s augmentation. By freeing human agents from transactional drudgery, we elevate them to be empathic problem solvers, enhancing both their job satisfaction and the customer’s outcome.” — Braden Kelley

Measuring the Success of the Handoff

The quality of the transitions between AI and human is the true measure of success. Leaders must track metrics that assess the efficacy of the handoff itself:

Repeat Story Rate: The percentage of customers who have to repeat information to the human agent after an AI handoff. This must be near zero.
Agent Ramp-up Time (Post-Transfer): The time it takes for the human agent to absorb the AI-generated context and take meaningful action. Lower is better.
Post-Handoff CSAT: The customer satisfaction score specifically captured after a complex AI-to-human transfer, measuring the seamlessness of the experience.

The Agentic Future

The voicebots are indeed coming, and they are bringing with them the most significant shift in customer service since the telephone itself. The next evolution will see agentic AI — bots that can dynamically choose between multiple tools and knowledge sources to resolve novel problems without being strictly pre-scripted. The challenge for leaders is to ensure that as this technology scales, our focus remains firmly on the human experience, leveraging the best of AI’s speed and the best of human empathy to create a truly effortless and satisfying customer journey.

🤖 Companies to Watch in AI Voicebots

The voicebot space is rapidly evolving, driven by generative AI, and the recent Customer Contact Week (CCW) in Nashville highlighted several key players. Companies to watch in this generative AI voicebot and contact center space include market-leading platforms like NICE, Genesys, Zoom and Five9, all of whom are heavily integrating generative and agentic AI features—such as real-time coaching and automated post-call summaries — into their core Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) offerings.

Beyond the traditional CCaaS providers, specialist AI firms like Replicant, Voice.AI and ASAPP (who had a significant presence at the event) continue to stand out by focusing on either full end-to-end voice automation for complex transactions or providing advanced Human-in-the-Loop AI features to augment live agents, particularly in regulated industries like financial services.

Additionally, major cloud vendors like Google Cloud and AWS (Amazon Connect) are increasingly aggressive, leveraging their foundational AI models to provide scalable, next-generation AI agents and contact center platforms, ensuring they remain transformative forces in customer experience (CX) automation.

HALLOWEEN BONUS: Save 30% on the eBook, hardcover or softcover of my latest book Charting Change (now in its second edition) — FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE — using code HAL30 until midnight October 31, 2025

Image credits: Customer Management Practice, Google Gemini

Content Authenticity Statement: The topic area, key elements to focus on, vendors to mention, etc. were decisions made by Braden Kelley, with a little help from Google Gemini to clean up the article.

Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.