Crack the Customer Code
509 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 38 ratingsCrack the Customer Code is dedicated to helping business professionals, small business owners, and customer-facing professionals learn the ins and outs of creating great customer experiences. With interviews and insights from a wide range of experts in the field, Crack the Customer Code will explore both timely and timeless topics, from how to increase customer loyalty through social media to why customers are more prone to lose control with companies nowadays. Crack the Customer Code provides a peek behind the curtain of what customer experience professionals really know about customers and how to make them happy and keep them loyal.
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Episodes
155: Don’t Forget the Baby Boomers
September 29, 2016 09:30 - 11 minutesIn today’s short but sweet episode, we discuss the importance of considering Baby Boomers when designing products and improving experiences. Are you turning your back on the world's third largest demographic? We’ve talked a lot about Millennials and Generation Z, but the Baby Boomers are a HUGE market demographic, and they have more spending power than anyone! So you’re missing out big time if you’re not paying attention to what they need. Designing experiences with Baby Boomers in mind can...
154: Adrian Swinscoe, How to Wow
September 26, 2016 09:30 - 23 minutesAdam and Jeannie interview bestselling author and Forbes columnist Adrian Swinscoe and discuss highlights from his latest book, How to Wow: 68 Effortless Ways to Make Every Customer Experience Amazing. About our guest Adrian Swinscoe is a customer experience consultant and advisor, and has been growing and helping develop customer-focused large and small businesses for 20 years. He has previously worked with Shell, FT and The Economist Group and has advised and consulted to numerous large an...
153: Training for New Customer Service Technology
September 22, 2016 09:30 - 14 minutesSome of the ways we approach great new customer service technology often create unnecessary rifts in the customer experience. What should you know before you upgrade? New customer service technology wins and fails What happens when we adopt great new customer service technology, but the front-line staff isn’t trained for it? We’ve all been in that situation where a customer service rep has to tell us, “Uh, this is new. Gimme a minute.” Before you blame the employee, there are several reason...
152: Daniel Lemin, Manipurated
September 19, 2016 09:30 - 28 minutesToday we’re uncovering what every small business owner needs to know about online reviews with Daniel Lemin, reputation expert and author of Manipurated. About our guest Daniel Lemin is a respected authority on the reputation industry. An early Google hire, Lemin was one of the first pioneers to realize the importance, impact, and power of online ratings and reviews on businesses and the ongoing struggle business owners have with their online reputations. Daniel is the head of consulting for...
151: Bringing the Experience to the Customers
September 15, 2016 09:30 - 14 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss the growing trend of integrating customer experiences with experiences people are already having in their daily lives. On-the-spot customer experiences For the busy consumer, making a purchase is often hinged on convenience. People want things when and where they need them! Potential customers may not have time to add another experience to their daily regimen. So what about bringing the experience to them? Consider morning commuters who may be in a rush but want a c...
150: Phil Gerbyshak, Social Connections
September 12, 2016 09:30 - 27 minutesBestselling author and global speaker Phil Gerbyshak shares his energy and passion for creating powerful social connections with customers. About our guest Phil Gerbyshak believes in the power of social selling and connection. With a unique speaking style—part sales expert, part entertainer—Phil keeps his audiences awake and engaged while providing actionable steps to bring in more leads, more referrals, and more business. If he’s not traveling, speaking, or making new connections, Phil writ...
149: Customer Service and Technology Investment
September 08, 2016 09:30 - 14 minutesMust customer service and technology fail at the same time? Today we discuss how to prepare for tech failures and prevent them from creating nightmares for customers. When customer service and technology fail To invest, or not to invest? It's a tough question, but not always the most important one. Enormous breakdowns in customer service can occur whether the latest and greatest technology fits your budget or not. Where will you be when your hobbled old tech finally takes a dive? Where will...
148: Randi Busse, Workforce Development
September 05, 2016 09:30 - 22 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss customer-centric workforce development with author, speaker, and Workforce Development Group president and founder, Randi Busse. About our guest Randi Busse (Bus-ee) is a Customer Service Speaker, Trainer and Author of "Turning Rants Into Raves: Turn Your Customers On Before They Turn On YOU!" She is the President of Workforce Development Group, Inc., a training and development organization that specializes in improving the customer experience, increasing customer re...
147: Private Social Media for Customer Service
September 01, 2016 09:30 - 13 minutesDirect messaging and chat are growing as part of social customer service. Omnichannel may soon mean much more than you thought! Are you ready? Customers expect more from social customer service Social platforms have been growing and evolving as a means for customers to provide feedback and resolve issues. We often think of these as public channels, but customers are discovering new rules and features that allow them to contact you directly via Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and more. As this t...
146: Casey Carpenter, Sales Breakthrough Coach
August 29, 2016 09:30 - 24 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss the overlap of sales and customer experience with author and sales coach, Casey Carpenter. About our guest An introverted, shy wallflower turned dynamic business-builder, Casey knows this: Anyone can improve her sales skills with the right training and the right mentor. Casey founded The Sales Breakthrough Coach for organizations that want to exponentially improve their sales, communication and leadership skills, and close more deals. She designed and delivered cus...
145: Defining Bad Customer Service
August 25, 2016 09:30 - 12 minutesToday we discuss how the wrong perspective on bad customer service blinds us to the vital insight we need to make improvements where they are needed the most. Zooming in on bad customer service Too often, customer service is pushed into its own corner. We see this a lot on surveys, where bad customer service is separate from things like long lines at the store, or even rude employees. When we speak in such general terms about poor service, we cheat ourselves out of the opportunity to get to...
144: Eddie Turner, Facilitating Change
August 22, 2016 09:30 - 20 minutesAdam and Jeannie join veteran change agent Eddie Turner to discuss his innovative methods for facilitating change smoothly and effectively. The holistic approach to facilitating change Change is often difficult for individuals. But for organizations, it can be disastrous if the process for facilitating change is not carefully planned and executed. Today’s guest, Eddie Turner, has mastered the art of change management in many industries. Eddie explains some of the common challenges around o...
143: How Augmented Reality is Changing Customer Experience
August 18, 2016 09:30 - 16 minutesToday we discuss some of the ways augmented reality (AR) can enhance marketing and overall customer experiences. Augmented reality is not just for games! According to Wikipedia, “Augmented reality (AR) is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.” Using GPS data to add graphics to real-life environments, Pokemon Go is a perfect example of ...
142: Anna Liotta, Unlocking Generational Codes
August 15, 2016 09:30 - 37 minutesAdam and Jeannie have a fascinating and entertaining discussion with Anna Liotta, author of Unlocking Generational CODES. About our guest Anna Liotta, MA, CSP is an award-winning speaker, business consultant and author with a deep understanding of how generational demographics and dynamics can affect the landscape of business. Early in her consulting career, Anna noticed a common theme: a fundamental lack of understanding between different generations within an organization that hindered t...
141: When Customers Don’t Want Your Help
August 11, 2016 09:30 - 12 minutesToday we discuss how customer service situations turn bad or worse when the customer is refusing help offered by front-line employees. Why is your customer refusing help? While salespeople are typically trained to handle rejection, many other customer-facing employees are not. We train our staff to deliver the best experience possible, but sometimes they try a little too hard, creating tension in the customer experience. This often takes the form of help offered when the customer doesn’t r...
140: Bryan Kramer, The Art of Shareology
August 08, 2016 09:30 - 30 minutesToday we join bestselling author and TEDx speaker Bryan Kramer to discuss the power of sharing to drive customer engagement and create lasting human connections. Viral content and the art of Shareology From sharing content to sharing rides, humans are hard-wired for sharing. But before we can share content and ideas customers will want to engage with, we must first understand why people share things in the first place. How does it relate to our brands? How does it relate to our customers’ go...
139: The Role of Content in Customer Service
August 04, 2016 09:30 - 7 minutesLive from the National Speakers Association’s Influence 2016 conference, Adam and Jeannie discuss ways to use content in customer service and improve the overall experience. Beyond marketing: Content in customer service Sharing valuable content is now an essential part of a successful digital marketing strategy. Companies have had to pick up new skills and tools, or even create new departments to keep up. So now that we’ve got our content hats on, let’s talk about using those resources to im...
138: Becky Spohn, Professional Confidence Builder
August 01, 2016 09:30 - 11 minutesLive from the National Speakers Association’s Influence 2016 conference, Adam and Jeannie tackle the challenges women face in building professional confidence with expert and speaker, Becky Spohn. About our guest Becky Spohn is an Inspirational Speaker and Trainer with over 25 years in the industry. She uses her unique style of tough-love, humor, and compassion to educate, entertain, and inspire audiences of corporations, associations, and individuals across the country. As Founder of Confi...
137: Culture and Customer Service
July 28, 2016 09:30 - 5 minutesReporting live from the National Speakers Association’s Influence 2016 conference, Adam and Jeannie discuss the connection between culture and customer service excellence. Create lasting impressions with proactive service To provide satisfactory customer service, you must be there for customers when they need you. But if you’d like to be known for great service, you must reach out to customers before they need you. A strong customer-focused culture that empowers employees to connect on diffe...
136: Jane Anderson, Customer Service for Personal Brands
July 25, 2016 09:30 - 19 minutesAdam and Jeannie interview personal branding expert Jane Anderson live from the National Speakers Association's Influence 2016 Convention. Personal brands have more personal customers “When you’re in a personally branded business, you are far more connected to your customers than ever,” says personal branding expert Jane Anderson. That said, relying on big-brand customer service experience in a personal brand setting can be a huge mistake! Jane outlines some of the key distinctions for us a...
135: History as a Sales Point
July 21, 2016 09:30 - 10 minutesToday we discuss claims of company longevity as a sales point and whether or not they still have a positive marketing impact on today’s consumers. Is company history still a viable sales point? We’ve all seen marketing copy that says things like “America’s favorite widget for 50 years!” or “Building whirligigs since 1942.” In generations past, these claims held a lot of water for consumers looking to do business with brands they can trust. But in today’s world, technology changes overnight ...
134: Curtis Kopf, Premera Blue Cross
July 18, 2016 09:30 - 29 minutesAdam and Jeannie tackle customer experience challenges in many industries with Curtis Kopf, Vice President of Customer Experience for Premera Blue Cross. Behind-the-scenes customer experience challenges A great customer experience is an easy one. But there is often great complexity involved in making those experiences happen. Curtis Kopf has a long history of working with customer-focused organizations that are driven by strong missions. These companies have become leaders in their industri...
133: Tesla and the Infrastructure of Innovation
July 14, 2016 09:30 - 15 minutesToday we discuss infrastructure and the ability to fit into the customer ecosystem as key factors behind the success of any game-changing innovation. Brilliant innovation is still just one step towards the next great thing Tesla Motors plans on making their amazing electric cars more attainable and affordable for the masses. This sounds great, and they certainly have the technology to create the product. But what about the infrastructure? Currently, it can be challenging to find a charging s...
132: Alison Circle, Columbus Metropolitan Library
July 11, 2016 09:30 - 23 minutesToday’s guest shares how Columbus Metropolitan Library creates an environment that’s attractive, comfortable, and relevant to today’s rapidly-changing needs and lifestyles. Columbus Metropolitan Library: Creating a community around knowledge To remain relevant and attractive in today’s world, organizations of all kinds need to rethink the ideal customer experience often. And in some cases, they must rethink the way they do business. Libraries are no exception. But sadly, most have not change...
131: Does Payment Affect Customer Experience?
July 07, 2016 09:30 - 20 minutesToday we discuss the impact different methods of payment have on customers and the way we do business. Methods of payment and the experiences around them We admit payment methods aren’t a sexy topic like unboxing or social media engagement. And that’s why this part of the customer experience is so often overlooked! But trust on this one: It’s huge. So how does method of payment fit in, and how much of an impact does it have on your customer experience? Would you know? From those holding up ...
130: Chloë Thomas, Customer Manipulation
June 30, 2016 09:30 - 21 minutesAdam and Jeannie interview Chloë Thomas, author of Customer Manipulation. Why call it "customer manipulation?" Many businesses struggle because they refuse to think of it this way. But in reality, it is our jobs as marketers to manipulate customer behavior. We use whatever tools we can to attract customers, to get them to spend more, then send new customers our way. So how can we keep a handle on customer behavior, without being pushy or feeling guilty? Chloë explains how to use the custom...
129: TSA Customer Service
June 27, 2016 09:30 - 15 minutesJeannie and Adam discuss recent issues with the TSA check-in process and how many of the customer experience nightmares that emerged around it could have been avoided. TSA Customer Service Customer service in government security… Dare we use these phrases in the same sentence? In many cases, TSA agents have done an excellent job providing good customer service while staying firm with security regulations. There are many people doing great work in the organization! However, the TSA has been...
128: Christianne Harder, Fan Engagement
June 23, 2016 09:30 - 36 minutesToday’s guest discusses the digital fan engagement strategy behind the Copa America Centenario, one of the world’s largest soccer tournaments. Fan engagement in the digital age There’s much more to the modern fan engagement than getting the crowd excited at the stadium. Today, fans are engaging on social media, websites, mobile apps and email lists. Die-hard fans are looking for more information and a deeper connection to the game, while newcomers and guests are just hoping to figure out wha...
127: Is Transparency Effective?
June 20, 2016 09:30 - 15 minutesJeannie and Adam discuss transparency in business, and what it means for customers, employees and stakeholders. Seeing through the concept of transparency How much information do you really need to share, and with whom? This is an age-old conundrum, but the digital age has brought about new challenges. Transparency has become a hot buzzword in recent years, and with good reason. Customers, employees and stakeholders are demanding more information than ever before. This is especially true fo...
126: Sven Gierlinger, Patient Empathy
June 16, 2016 09:30 - 27 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss the challenges of creating a culture around patient empathy with Sven Gierlinger, Chief Experience Officer for Northwell Health. Embedding patient empathy into process and culture Healthcare workers are indeed heroes. With sensitive tasks and complicated registration processes at hand, creating experiences that make patients feel safe and comfortable is a tall order. With a background in hospitality at Ritz-Carlton, Northwell Health Chief Experience Officer Sven Gie...
125: How Environment Impacts Experience
June 13, 2016 09:30 - 10 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss how the Cleveland Clinic uses environmental design as an integral part of the experience. Environmental design: An integral part of the experience The Cleveland clinic is world renowned as a pioneer in improving the patient experience. But aside from focusing on patient empathy and access, they are also using art and design to help create an environment that’s conducive to the experience they want to deliver. In this episode, Jeannie and Adam share observations from...
124: Brian Andrews, VP of Customer Experience at Sprint
June 09, 2016 09:30 - 12 minutesAdam and Jeannie interview Brian Andrews, VP of Customer Experience at Sprint, at the 2016 CXPA Insight Exchange. Brian Andrews, Pioneering NPS at Intuit and Sprint Before there was a playbook or a Harvard Business Review article on the practice, Brian was adopting Net Promoter Score at Intuit. Adam and Jeannie had the chance to discuss Brian’s challenges and triumphs during the early days of using NPS. Brian is now the Vice President of Customer Experience at Sprint. Under his direction, t...
123: CXPA Live, Regulated Industry Challenges
June 06, 2016 09:30 - 7 minutesIn the fourth and last episode in a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Jeannie and Adam explore the challenges of improving customer experience around industry regulations. Industry regulations are no excuse! Companies in heavily-regulated industries like airlines, banks and insurance agencies have to make sure everything’s up to code and in compliance. (And with good reason!) But strict regulations often give rise to interactions that seem impossible to work into custome...
122: Tema Frank, People Shock
June 02, 2016 09:30 - 21 minutesTema Frank discusses her latest book, People Shock, and how to balance technology with process and people for a better customer experience. Connecting people with process As we rely more on technology, we acquire new processes. And those processes often don’t translate to the ideal customer experience. “IT does not think like customers,” says today’s guest, Tema Frank! And the evidence is all around us. Today, the best of intentions can lead to customer service disasters, simply because a s...
121: CXPA Live, Healthcare Experience Observations
May 30, 2016 09:30 - 7 minutesIn the third episode of a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Jeannie and Adam discuss new challenges and opportunities around the healthcare experience. Decoding the healthcare experience At this year’s CXPA Insight Exchange, our co-host Jeannie Walters took to the stage with Jackie McAtee to share and evaluate a personal journey through the healthcare system. But they weren’t alone! Healthcare experience was a more prevalent theme than ever at this year’s event. Leaders...
120: Jim Kalbach, Experience Mapping Expert
May 26, 2016 09:30 - 21 minutesExperience mapping expert and author Jim Kalbach shares little-known but powerful secrets to leading and executing a successful mapping project. The holistic approach to experience mapping Thinking of creating a customer journey map, process diagram or strategy map for your organization? These can be invaluable tools for growing your business and improving your customer experience. So how can you create useful maps and visualizations that actually help you understand and optimize your proce...
119: CXPA Live, Predictive Analytics
May 23, 2016 09:30 - 5 minutesIn the second episode of a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Jeannie and Adam discuss predictive analytics for getting way ahead of customer service issues. Predictive analytics for proactive customer service We just love technology that helps gather and analyze data, don’t you? The problem with data, though, is that it’s all in the past. It’s great to have a solution at hand for a known customer service issues, but that means a customer has already had a mishap with you...
118: David Williams, Make-A-Wish
May 19, 2016 09:30 - 30 minutesDavid Williams, CEO of Make-A-Wish®, shares his expertise in delivering incredible experiences to a highly complex customer base in the nonprofit sector and beyond. Who are nonprofit customers, and are they any different? We talk a lot about showing the human side of a brand to create an experience that customers connect with on an emotional level. To help accomplish this, many corporations are looking to nonprofit partners to help promote their brand and build anticipation. Make-A-Wish® is ...
117: CXPA Live, The Voice of the Customer
May 16, 2016 09:30 - 5 minutesThe first in a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Adam and Jeannie discuss new trends for hearing the real voice of the customer. Are you hearing the real voice of the customer? A few years ago, the buzz amongst customer experience professionals was all about the data. With so much new technology for gathering and analyzing it, voice of the customer initiatives suddenly became more viable than ever. And yet, CX leaders report there’s still a profound emotional disconnect...
116: Terry Brock, Growing Your Business with Tech
May 12, 2016 09:30 - 27 minutesToday’s guest shares ideas on how you can grow your business using technology and time-honored principles. Growing Your Business with Tech Growing a business today is fundamentally the same as it’s been for generations, in that it’s all about building relationships. Today, technology brings us many new advantages for building those relationships. But that same tech can put you at a disadvantage if you’re using it the wrong way. Terry Brock explains how social platforms and new communication...
115: Do Loyalty Programs Still Work?
May 09, 2016 09:30 - 20 minutesTraditional customer loyalty programs aren’t performing nearly as well as they used to. How can we forge loyalty with the next generation of customers? The next generation of loyalty programs Punch cards, reward points and other incentives have helped companies forge customer loyalty in the past. But these methods have lost a lot of ground! Customers are using technology to help them shop with hundreds, if not thousands of competitors. The advantages of saving up points or checking emails fo...
114: Ron Tite, Branding and Creativity Expert
May 05, 2016 09:30 - 37 minutesToday’s guest shares his secrets for tying creative principles into brand experiences. Unleash your inner artist! Creativity is the driver behind groundbreaking ideas and memorable brand experiences. And solving unforeseen customer service problems requires a level of finesse nobody can get from a script or rule book. In many ways, these things require the work of an artist. However, those creating brand experiences often work in a typical corporate environment, where artistic thinking is e...
113: Our Favorite Apps
May 02, 2016 09:30 - 22 minutesWhat makes a great mobile app stand out from the majority that never get used? Today we share some of our favorites and what makes them home screen essentials. The magic of our favorite apps Companies are quickly bridging the cross-channel gaps to deliver enhanced experiences through mobile technology. From apps like TripIt that help organize travel details to retail apps that use geolocation to help customers find the products you need most, Adam and Jeannie talk about their own favorite ap...
112: Terri Goldstein, The Science of Package Design
April 28, 2016 09:30 - 22 minutesYou have 5 seconds to win the customer in a retail setting. How can you use neuroscience and smart package design to jumpstart the customer experience? The science of package design Marketing your brand in a retail setting today is more competitive than ever. The decision to buy is now based on much more than just quality and pricing. Brand packaging, as our guest Terri Goldstein explains, used to be an afterthought- often left in the hands of the ones printing the labels. Today, executives...
111: Analog Customer Experiences
April 25, 2016 09:30 - 17 minutesYou need rules and processes to keep things running smoothly. But do the resulting analog customer experiences give rise to serious pain points in your customer journey? Analog customer experiences Artificial intelligence, customer service scripts and chat bots can be life-savers for your customer service team. It’s great when we find new ways to streamline and automate our processes, and even better when we find the solutions that are “just right.” So what happens when we put those analog ...
110: Mike Ganino, Guest Experience Expert
April 21, 2016 09:30 - 25 minutesToday’s guest discusses how he helps big hospitality brands improve the guest experience and forge better connections with their customers, resulting in explosive growth. Growth hacking with an excellent guest experience Mike Ganino shares how he helped companies like Potbelly and Protein Bar grow from small companies with only a handful of locations to beloved household names. Wouldn’t you like to do this for your brand? It all comes back to culture and leadership. Mike explains how he he...
109: Slow Fashion and Rapid Innovation
April 18, 2016 09:30 - 22 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss how the most innovative leaders in the fashion industry are responding to ever-increasing pressure to innovate quickly. Tougher customer expectations inspire rapid innovation Today, fashion demands can change as fast as your Pinterest boards. Keeping up with these demands poses many challenges for retailers. Burberry and Tom Ford are now promising the hottest new runway fashions will be available immediately, not six to eight months from now, which is the norm. How ...
108: Stan Phelps & Evan Carroll, Blue Goldfish
April 14, 2016 12:01 - 23 minutesToday’s guests discuss their new book, Blue Goldfish, and how companies can bridge the gap between people and technology in a world where human-to-human interaction is disappearing from the customer experience. Solving the riddle of frictionless digital commerce According to Gartner, 80% of B2B transactions will occur without human-to-human interaction by the year 2020. That’s a pretty big game-changer! While technology is creating some amazing opportunities to personalize the B2B experien...
107: Extreme Customization
April 11, 2016 09:30 - 18 minutesAdam and Jeannie discuss cutting-edge new levels of customization and how they are making life better while changing how many companies do business. Redefining customization We’ve talked a lot about the importance of personalization for customers. Typically, that applies mostly to how we communicate. Innovative ways of collecting and managing customer data have helped a great deal. So what happens when highly-specialized customer data can be applied to advances in 3D printing and the Intern...
106: J V Crum, Social Consciousness in Business
April 07, 2016 09:30 - 33 minutesToday’s guest shares the principles of social consciousness in business, and how he made millions providing intrinsic value. Building a great company with social consciousness Are you in business to solve real problems for people, or are you in business to put money in your pocket? This is a question today’s guest J V Crum would really like to ask yourself. At the core of building a great company today, J V explains, you must approach business from a consciousness perspective. J V gives us ...