Advising The Fortune 500 On Adopting AI To Enhance CX And EX

I started my CX journey as a contact center agent for one of Canada’s largest telecom providers, Bell Canada. For over three years I handled calls from billing to technical support and got a first-hand view of the importance of customer support and how hard it is to achieve consistency at scale. My journey from a contact center agent to an advisor and marketer is a happy accident that has allowed me to bring empathy and a people-first lens to how I lead and advise in this space. 

Over eight years ago I began working for tech vendors specializing in AI, chatbots, workforce management and analytics. At the time, I didn’t realize how much being a former contact center agent would be an asset. By the time I joined this space I had worked across the globe and led research teams, well-versed in business strategy and change management.

Working for a consulting firm focused on the banking and energy sector and for an international commercial real estate firm that supported clients across industries later strengthened my understanding of the importance of how difficult it is to lead change, manage competing priorities and drive impact.  

The knowledge gained is also why I look forward to contributing to this community here at CCW Digital. I have four key missions when I write and advise in this space: elevate the contact center function, put people at the center when we talk about CX, break down silos and remove the complexity of AI to make it easier to adopt and drive change. Below I provide a little preview of these topics and how I plan on tackling them through this year. 

A People-First Approach To Adopting AI

My experience has led me to appreciate the connection between people, process, and technology. With the heightened awareness of AI and a push across every industry to adopt AI, especially generative AI, it's even more important we ensure we understand the people and process part of how to make decisions. When engaging with Contact Center and Customer Experience leaders the biggest questions I always get are

 “Where should I start” 

Or

“What use cases can I apply this to?” 

There is no longer a question of whether “I should adopt AI?” It’s more so a question about how.  And the "how" is the hardest part because you have to factor in people: your customers and employees, their desires, expectations and resistance to change. I’ve recognized that having a “people plan” is just as important as having an AI plan. And the people plan expands beyond the idea of right sizing. It's about factoring in empathy, perspective and emotion in how the technology you want to adopt will be received. I look forward to sharing examples and anecdotes on how your peers and leaders in this space are navigating and adopting AI while bringing their people along for the ride. 

A Desire To Breakdown Functional Silos

A big part of taking a people-first approach is advocating that companies no longer compartmentalize who is responsible for the customer. Customer experience is the responsibility of everyone in the company. I'll share my professional anecdotes on how leading today’s Fortune 500 companies are reorganizing around customers and discuss how these restructurings are pointing towards a bigger shift beyond technology in this space. I will dig deeper into these changes in mindset, leadership and organizational structure that are playing out, and highlight how top companies are leading at CX and driving loyalty. 

Removing The Fear, Uncertainty And Confusion Surrounding AI

Artificial Intelligence is now mainstream, but there isn’t a strong consensus of what it means for CX. Generative AI, Conversational AI, Emotion AI, the list goes on. There are many terms thrown out, but it leads to further confusion.

CX and Contact Center leaders don’t need to become experts on AI but they do need to have a strong understanding of how it can be used and when they should be adopting it into their organization. I spend most of my time talking about AI, traveling across North America and leading roundtables on what you need to know about AI and the applicable use cases.

I look forward to sharing the use cases I’ve seen across industries and breaking down the terms so you can feel confident putting together an AI strategy that makes sense for your company. I desire to go beyond equipping you with general knowledge of these technologies. I want you to have practical examples and context to make informed decisions on when and how to start. 

Looking Ahead

As I embark on this journey, my commitment to elevating the contact center, inspiring great leadership, and simplifying AI adoption will be common themes in my articles. Join me as I navigate the transformative customer experience landscape and provide practical insights. I write to learn, and look forward to engaging with you and hearing your perspectives and insights!

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash.